The Race to Understand a Changing Planet - Sagan Lecture 2012

Explore a compelling 45-minute Sagan Lecture from the 2012 AGU Fall Meeting that delves into the urgent challenge of understanding our rapidly changing planet. Examine how Earth Science is racing to provide credible projections of future climates to inform science-based decision-making on energy development strategies. Learn about the evolution of climate models from simple atmospheric descriptions to complex Earth System Models (ESMs) that incorporate oceans, cryosphere, carbon cycle, and biosphere. Discover the crucial role of satellite observations in keeping pace with modeling demands and the importance of field experiments in refining models and data algorithms. Gain insight into the significant challenges facing Earth and planetary science communities as they work to guide a growing global population into an uncertain future.