Oceanographers' contribution to climate modelling and prediction: progress to date and a future perspective

Area of Science:

• Oceanography and Climate Science: Focuses on the ocean's role in Earth's climate system.

Background:

• The ocean significantly influences climate through coupled atmosphere-ocean, cryosphere, and biogeochemical processes.
• Key aspects include heat and carbon dioxide budgets, and sea-level rise, all modulated by oceanic dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review major advancements in ocean modeling over the last two decades.
• To outline future prospects for ocean modeling in the next 20 years.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of developments across idealized, conceptual, and realistic ocean modeling frameworks.
• Consideration of the interplay between theoretical research, observational data, and modeling strategies.

Main Results:

• Identified key progress in ocean modeling capabilities over the past 20 years.
• Outlined future directions and challenges for ocean modeling, emphasizing a hierarchical approach.

Conclusions:

• Long-term ocean modeling strategies must integrate fundamental theoretical and observational research.
• Societal and technological drivers are critical in shaping future ocean modeling research directions.