Abstract
This paper presents a comprehensive overview of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 7 (CMIP7) request for data unlocking key research avenues in atmospheric science and provides justification for the resources needed to produce this data. Topics within the CMIP7 Atmosphere Theme centre around processes and feedbacks in atmospheric science such as clouds, aerosols and atmospheric chemistry, atmospheric circulation, temperature variability and extremes, radiative forcings, and Earth system model evaluation. These topics are summarised in this paper as scientific “opportunities” which will be realised through CMIP7 experiments and Earth system model outputs. These opportunities were submitted by a thematic group of atmospheric science community representatives combined with an extended consultation process. The production of these variables will close key gaps and uncertainties identified during previous rounds of CMIP, and will be broadly used by scientific, policy, governmental, industry, and other communities that rely on climate model projections for research and decision making, including supporting the 7th Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Assessment Report (AR7). As an author group, we also reflect on the process used to collate this data request and make recommendations to future CMIP governance on implementing a consultation on this scale in the future.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 2945-2984 |
| Number of pages | 40 |
| Journal | Geoscientific Model Development |
| Volume | 19 |
| Issue number | 7 |
| Early online date | 17 Apr 2026 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2026 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2026 Beth Dingley et al.
Funding
Marta Abalos acknowledges funding from the Spanish national project RecO3very (PID2021-124772OB-I00). The work of Lisa Bock and Birgit Hassler was supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant no. 101003536; ESM2025–Earth System Models for the Future) and by the BMBF under CAP7 project, Grant Agreement no. 01LP2401C. Fiona M. O’Connor was supported by the Met Office Hadley Centre Climate Programme funded by DSIT and the Eu- ropean Union Horizon 2020 Research Programme ESM2025 (grant agreement number 101003536) project. The work of Petr Sacha was supported by the Czech Science Agency under the project no. 23- 04921M and by the Charles University Research Centre program No. UNCE/24/SCI/005. Isla Simpson was supported by the NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research, which is a major facility sponsored by the NSF under Cooperative Agreement no. 1852977. Laura Wilcox was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC; grant NE/W004895/1, TerraFIRMA). The work of Mark Zelinka was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Regional and Global Model Analysis program area and was performed under the auspices of the DOE by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344. The work by Tommi Bergman was supported by the Research Council of Finland through the ACCC flagship (decision numbers 357904 and 359342). Sonya Fiddes is supported by the Australian Antarctic Program Partnership, ASCI000002, an Antarctic Science Collaboration Initiative by the Australian Government. The authors would like to acknowledge the contributions to all Opportunities. AerChemMIP Opportunity (Un- derstanding the role of atmospheric composition for air quality and climate change) received contributions from the following people: Olivia Clifton, Bill Collins, Mathew Evans, Stephanie Fiedler, Gerd Folberth, Paul Griffiths, Daniel Grosvenor, Larry Horowitz, Matt Kasoar, Martine Michou, Lee Murray, Pierre Nabat, Vaishali Naik, Dirk Olivié, Naga Oshima, Michael Prather, Vichawan Sakulsupich, Michael Schulz, Toshihiko Takemura, Steven Turnock, and Duncan Watson-Parris. Karen McKinno and Osamu Miyawaki contributed to the diagnosing temperature variability and extremes opportunity. Brian Medeiros, David Battisti, Paul Ulrich, Christine Sheilds and Kevin Grise contributed to the synoptic systems and impacts opportunity. Nathan Gillett, Gabi Hegerl, Reto Knutto, Dann Mitchell, Aurelian Ribes, Hideo Shiogama, Daithi Stone, Wolski Piotr, Claudia Tibaldi, and Wenxia Zhang contributed to the DAMIP opportunity. Axel Lauer contributed to the Clouds, radiation & precipita- tion opportunity. Mark Webb, Alejandro Bodas-Salcedo, and Paulo Ceppi provided input for the two Clouds, circulation and climate sensitivity opportunities. Marc Mallet, Christina McCluskey, Kristen Krumhardt and Alice DuVivier provided input to the Southern Ocean biogeochemistry to clouds opportunity. The CMIP IPO is hosted by the European Space Agency, with staff provided on contract by HE Space Operations Ltd. Marta Abalos acknowledges funding from the Spanish national project RecO3very (PID2021-124772OB-I00). The work of Lisa Bock and Birgit Hassler was supported by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant no. 101003536; ESM2025–Earth System Models for the Future) and by the BMBF under CAP7 project, Grant Agreement no. 01LP2401C. Fiona M. O'Connor was supported by the Met Office Hadley Centre Climate Programme funded by DSIT and the European Union Horizon 2020 Research Programme ESM2025 (grant agreement number 101003536) project. The work of Petr Sacha was supported by the Czech Science Agency under the project no. 23-04921M and by the Charles University Research Centre program No. UNCE/24/SCI/005. Isla Simpson was supported by the NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research, which is a major facility sponsored by the NSF under Cooperative Agreement no. 1852977. Laura Wilcox was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC; grant NE/W004895/1, TerraFIRMA). The work of Mark Zelinka was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Regional and Global Model Analysis program area and was performed under the auspices of the DOE by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344. The work by Tommi Bergman was supported by the Research Council of Finland through the ACCC flagship (decision numbers 357904 and 359342). Sonya Fiddes is supported by the Australian Antarctic Program Partnership, ASCI000002, an Antarctic Science Collaboration Initiative by the Australian Government.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Paulo Ceppi provided input for the two Clouds | |
| DSIT | |
| Department for Science, Innovation and Technology | |
| National Center for Atmospheric Research | |
| HE Space Operations Ltd. | |
| U.S. Department of Energy | |
| Duncan Watson-Parris | |
| Met Office Hadley Centre Climate Programme | |
| Government of Western Australia | |
| Met Office | |
| Horizon 2020 | |
| Natural Environment Research Council | NE/W004895/1 |
| Czech Science Agency | 23-04921M |
| National Science Foundation | 1852977 |
| Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt | 01LP2401C |
| Research Council of Finland | 357904, ASCI000002, 359342 |
| Horizon 2020 Framework Programme | ESM2025, 101003536 |
| Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory | DE-AC52-07NA27344 |
| Univerzita Karlova v Praze | UNCE/24/SCI/005 |
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