Climate Research (CR) covers interdisciplinary studies of past, present and projected climate change and its impacts on organisms, ecosystems and human societies. CR is funded by external contracts and grants from academic funding councils, government departments, intergovernmental agencies, charitable foundations and commercial organisations. CR also undertakes a significant amount of education and public engagement in addition to its research activities.
Using a wide range of scientific methods, researchers study the Earth’s climate system and how it is changing. Scientists use observations to build a knowledge base, which they then use to model how the climate system works. The results of this work are used to predict future changes and develop strategies for coping with climate change.
The research field of climate change encompasses many scientific disciplines including geography, meteorology, ecology, oceanography, economics, engineering, humanities, natural resource management, health and policy. Researchers from these fields work in collaboration with each other and with scientists from other disciplines, to create new scientific insights and understanding.
The history of climate science dates back to the Scientific Revolution, with systematic record-keeping, such as thermometers and barometers, starting in the 17th century. Since then, technological advances have enabled the accumulation of large datasets. These are compiled, analysed and combined using statistical and mathematical models to understand historical, current and potential future climates. These models can help with forecasting, for example predicting the frequency of hurricanes over millennia, and also inform the design of climate-related policies and infrastructure.
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