Mission
To explore, establish and quantify the variability and predictability
of Earth's climate variations
on seasonal to decadal time scales through the use of state-of-the-art
dynamical coupled ocean, land, atmosphere models, and to harvest
this predictability for societally beneficial predictions.
The Center for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Studies (COLA), located in
Calverton, Maryland, is a unique institution which allows earth
scientists from several disciplines to work closely together on
interdisciplinary research related to variability and predictability
of Earth's climate on seasonal to decadal time scales. The scientific
premise for research at COLA is that there is a predictable element
of the Earth's current climate that makes it possible to accurately
forecast climate variations. While the chaotic nature of the global
atmosphere is known to impose a limit on the predictability of the
state of the climate at a given instant, the hypothesis behind COLA's
research suggests that there is predictability in the midst of chaos,
and that accurate climate forecasts with lead times longer than
the inherent limit of deterministic predictability are possible.
In order to critically examine the hypothesis, COLA scientists
utilize numerical models of the Earth's global atmosphere, world
oceans and land surface biosphere in numerical predictability experiments
and experimental predictions, and use advanced techniques for analysis
of observational and model data. By seeking to always use the best
available climate model, COLA scientists remain on the leading edge
of research advancements. By tightly coupling the predictability
research and experimental predictions for real observed climate
situations, COLA scientists find that the predictability results
provide guidance for improving the experimental forecast, and the
prediction results can be applied directly to experimental design
for studying predictability and improving prediction models.
Education - The education of the next generation of atmospheric
and oceanic modelers is critical to the advancement of our science
and the improvement of our understanding of the predictability and
variability of the Earth's climate. Several members of the COLA
research staff are actively engaged in graduate student advising,
teaching courses, and leading training workshops at a number of
universities and other organizations. A relationship has been established
with George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, where scientists
from COLA have developed a curriculum and are helping to establish
a doctoral degree program in climate dynamics.
Support - COLA is widely considered to be a shining example
of the successful way that cooperation and coordination among the
federal agencies of the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP)
has led to greater, more flexible and more creative federal support
for basic research in climate variability and change. Support for
COLA research is provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), the National
Science Foundation (NSF), and
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
The supercomputing resources that have been made available by the
National Center for Atmospheric Research and the NASA Center for
Computational Sciences have been instrumental in the successful
execution of the COLA research agenda. The scientific and technical
activities at COLA are critically reviewed periodically by a Scientific
Advisory Committee composed of highly respected leaders in the field.
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