Building Virtual Worlds that Follow Universal Laws of Physics

Introduction

Planetary climate models are essential to understanding the climate on Earth while also being windows into the many climates that may exist throughout the Universe. However, current models often fail to simulate planets that diverged from Earth-like conditions as they rely on Earth-centric formulations and suffer a shortage of first principle representations. This severely impacts our ability to understand and predict climate change and evolution, as the physical accuracy of the simulations is compromised.

Project Overview

To solve this current gap in our knowledge, I will lead the development of the first planet climate simulator, Foundation. My central role in developing unprecedented 3D planetary atmospheric models from scratch sets me in an advantageous position to successfully lead this ambitious project.

Goals and Methodology

Our goal is to use the building blocks of physical processes we know occur in atmospheres, such as:

1. Fluid flow equations
2. Moist physics
3. Cloud formation

We will build up climate physics in a 3D model that achieves accurate simulations. Our novel model will address climate phenomena that remain unsolved in the Solar System due to current model limitations, namely:

• The nature of Jupiter's chaotic atmosphere
• Venus's deep atmospheric circulation
• Titan's methane cycle

These are major gaps in our knowledge, even with more than 50 years of spacecraft data.

Importance of the Model

A model based on Universal physics that can reproduce the most challenging climates of the Solar System is extremely valuable to evaluate Earth's climate model predictions. Our approach can strongly impact the robustness of Earth's changing climate simulations and the prediction of extreme weather events, which are becoming increasingly more critical to our living environment.

Future Implications

Foundation's greater climate prediction capabilities will also revolutionize exoplanet atmospheric characterization and provide a thorough theory on the climate stability of terrestrial planets, essential to our understanding of climate diversity.