Philosophical views of Baltic Basin climate and environmental sciences

Anders Omstedt*, Inga Dailidienė, Hans von Storch, Rasmus Grønfeldt Winther

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

Abstract

The scientific practice from 1993 to 2024 in the ongoing BALTEX/Baltic Earth program has applied a philosophical view of complex systems that promotes improved understanding through idealizations without organizing science hierarchically. Instead, the pluralistic scientific approach used by the BALTEX/Baltic Earth program has successfully generated a new scientific understanding of how to address climate and environmental changes in the region. Some of these major advances are as follows: •The program has developed new communication skills by developing conceptual views into drawings with substantial information content at various spatial and temporal scales. •The program has gained experience in increasing the number of data and data products and in realizing the need for well-documented, homogenized, and open datasets; it has also provided training in characterizing and detecting climate and environmental changes in the region. •Indices and statistical models have played an important role in understanding complex dynamics; we have learned that they also need to take account of homogeneities and often have severe limitations. •Several new maps of the region conveying geographic and human information have, in a convenient visual way, opened our eyes to the need for multi-disciplinary research. •Intensive research on the atmosphere-ocean boundary layers has improved our understanding of these factors. •New understanding has been achieved through establishing water, heat, nutrient, and carbon budgets. •The program has generated improved understanding by developing mechanistic and system models of water, heat, nutrient, and carbon cycling. •Maximum complexity models have been developed as computer capacity has grown, yielding important results when attributing the causes of climate change and creating scenarios of possible future developments. •Experience with assessment has taught us about the strengths and weaknesses in evaluating science and scenarios. It has also enhanced our understanding of multidisciplinary research.

Original languageEnglish
Article number66407
JournalOceanologia
Volume66
Issue number4
Number of pages17
ISSN0078-3234
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© Polish Academy of Sciences.

Keywords

  • Atmosphere-ocean-land surface modeling
  • BALTEX
  • Baltic Earth
  • Biogeochemistry
  • Carbon cycle
  • Climate and environmental research
  • Water and energy cycles

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