From October 19th to 28th, 2024, Professor Dan Lunt from University of Bristol, UK, visited Nanjing University at the invitation of Professor Fan Junxuan from the School of Earth Sciences and Engineering.
Professor Lunt delivered a lecture on "Changes in climate sensitivity and polar amplification over the last 500 million years" at the School of Earth Sciences and Engineering on October 22nd. Beginning with various data for reconstructing paleoclimate, Professor Lunt then introduced the earth system, the physical mechanisms behind climate change, the simulation effects of various models on different climate indicators, and specific research cases in paleoclimate reconstruction. He also explained how international scientific research cooperation in climate prediction worked.
Prof. Lunt's talk on October 22th
The Paleoclimate Modelling Workshop was organized at Nanjing University from October 23rd to October 25th. Nearly 70 participants attended the workshop, including teachers and students from various schools of Nanjing University and those from Peking University, China University of Geosciences and many other institutions. rofessor Lunt introduced the CMIP6/IPCC climate model and its usage methods. During the hands-on training, everyone practiced visualised output of the climate model, compared the model with the data, and explored how these models simulate the current climate. In the afternoon of October 24th, Professor Lunt invited participants to explore the model data of the simulation team from University of Bristol's School of Geography to analyze and visualize it, and then attempt to provide verification or initial answers to a scientific question of interest. The second presentation activity on October 25th invited participants to create their own climate models, further adjust the parameters based on published data, and attempt to explain the changes in the output results of the adjusted model. These activities received enthusiastic response from the participants, and there were heated discussions among the participants after each student's report.
Presentation of group projects
The three-day workshop provided the participants with the opportunity to engage directly with a leading international scholar and expand their global perspectives. Professor Lunt's visit strengthened the academic exchange between Nanjing University and University of Bristol, opening new avenues for cooperation in the field of climate change research for both parties.
Professor Dan Lunt is a renowned scholar in the fields of climate science and geology. Currently working at University of Bristol in the UK, he is also a part-time scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in the United States. His research mainly focuses on the history and prediction models of climate change, especially by analyzing past climate data to understand the mechanisms of modern climate change. Professor Lunt is adept at using computer simulations to reconstruct the Earth's past climate and conducts in-depth research on various driving factors of the climate system, such as greenhouse gas concentrations, ice sheet dynamics, and ocean circulation. His work not only has significant influence in the scientific community but also holds great significance for policy-making and public understanding of climate change.
