European Grid for Earth System Modelling

European Grid for Earth System Modelling
Name	European Grid for Earth System Modelling
Abbreviation	EGESM
Established	2010s
Type	Research infrastructure
Headquarters	Geneva
Region	European Union, United Kingdom, Switzerland

European Grid for Earth System Modelling is a pan-European research infrastructure initiative that integrates computational HPC resources, observational Copernicus Programme products, and climate modeling frameworks to support Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessment activities and national European Space Agency projects. It federates data centers, university departments, and governmental laboratories to provide standardized access to Climate model output, remote sensing archives, and reanalysis products for multidisciplinary teams across France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, and other Council of Europe members. The initiative interfaces with stakeholders such as the World Meteorological Organization, European Commission, and research networks including ESFRI and EUMETNET.

Overview

The platform combines compute grids inspired by earlier efforts like EGEE and PRACE with data services influenced by Copernicus Climate Change Service and European Climate Assessment & Dataset to support long-term simulations used in IPCC Sixth Assessment Report chapters and national NERC programs. EGESM provides harmonized access to CMIP6-style archive holdings, regional downscaling consortia similar to CORDEX ensembles, and observational constraints derived from missions such as Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, and MetOp. It aims to bridge gaps between Max Planck Institute for Meteorology model development, UK Met Office operational forecasting, and university centers like ETH Zurich and Université Pierre et Marie Curie.

History and Development

EGESM evolved during the 2010s from collaborative projects funded under Horizon 2020 and national roadmaps influenced by European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures recommendations. Early pilots built on middleware tools from gLite and UNICORE and drew expertise from institutions including CERN, ECMWF, KNMI, BSC (Barcelona Supercomputing Center), and DLR. Milestones included integration with Copernicus data streams, provisioning for CMIP5 to CMIP6 transition, and coordination with the Global Climate Observing System for observational validation. EGESM collaborations involved partnerships with Jülich Research Centre, ISAC-CNR, Barcelona Supercomputing Center, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, and Sorbonne University.

Architecture and Technology

The architecture leverages federated identity systems patterned after eduGAIN and resource brokering concepts used by OpenStack deployments at CSC – IT Center for Science and NeIC. Core components include metadata catalogs interoperable with ESGF nodes, storage tiers using technologies tested at Max Planck Gesellschaft centers, and workflow orchestration comparable to Apache Airflow prototypes used in ECMWF and Met Office pipelines. Compute scheduling integrates with PRACE allocation procedures and containerization strategies popularized by Docker and Singularity for reproducible Earth system model runs. Networking relies on research backbones like GÉANT and GEANT partnerships connecting to national research and education networks such as SURFnet, RENATER, and DFN.

Modeling Components and Datasets

EGESM hosts model components from prominent groups including Hadley Centre, MPI-M, CNRM-CERFACS, and NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, supporting atmosphere, ocean, land surface, and biogeochemistry modules used in CMIP experiments. Datasets provided include ERA5 reanalysis, GLDAS land data, SeaWiFS ocean color archives, and satellite-derived products from ERS and ENVISAT. The infrastructure enables multi-model ensembles, bias correction approaches used by ISIMIP, and seamless coupling with vegetation models such as LPJmL and ORCHIDEE. Metadata standards align with CF conventions, ISO 19115, and catalog services like THREDDS.

Applications and Use Cases

Use cases span IPCC-relevant attribution studies, regional impact assessments for European Commission adaptation policy, and support for Copernicus Emergency Management Service and Copernicus Marine Service operational products. Stakeholders include climate services at Deutscher Wetterdienst, agricultural modeling groups at INRAE, energy system planners in ENTSO-E, and urban resilience teams collaborating with ICLEI. The platform supports scenario analysis for Paris Agreement obligations, biodiversity impact studies aligned with European Environment Agency reporting, and interfaces with socio-economic models from OECD and World Bank projects.

Governance and Partnerships

Governance follows a consortium model with representation from national nodes, research organizations, and European agencies. Partners and funders include European Commission directorates, Horizon Europe calls, national research councils like DFG, ANR, and NERC, and international bodies such as WMO and UNFCCC expert panels. The governance board draws expertise from ECMWF, CERN, PRACE, EUMETSAT, ESA, JRC, and academic centers including UCL and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.

Impact and Future Directions

EGESM has accelerated cross-border model intercomparison, improved reproducibility practices inspired by FAIR data principles, and facilitated contributions to IPCC assessments and Copernicus services. Future directions emphasize tighter integration with machine learning research at Alan Turing Institute and ETH Zurich, expansion of capacity via exascale collaborations with EuroHPC, and enhanced links to biodiversity and health research aligned with European Green Deal and Horizon Europe missions. Continued partnerships with UNEP, WHO, and regional observatories aim to broaden societal impact and operational uptake.

Category:Climate research infrastructure