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the U.S. Climate Change Science Program
Overview of U.S. Research on Climate and Global Change
From "Discovery" to "Comparative Analysis"
Introduction |
Updated
11 October, 2003
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From Discovery to Comparative Analysis: |
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Observations and Monitoring Systems
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Because of the scientific accomplishments of the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) and other research programs during the last decade, a period that could be termed a productive "period of discovery and characterization," the Climate Change Research Initiative (CCRI), in coordination with the USGCRP, will move into a new "period of comparative analysis of response strategies." In this new phase of the climate science programs, information that allows comparisons of the potential consequences of different responses to global changes, including climate change, will be developed. However, even as some programs move to develop focused, comparative studies, the USGCRP will need to continue to actively support fundamental, discovery-driven research that tests basic assumptions and substantially increases the understanding of cause-effect relationships, and that contributes to reducing key scientific uncertainties. Future plans for the combined USGCRP and CCRI will focus on three broad tiers of activities:
The CCRI will supplement the ongoing USGCRP by focusing elements of each of these three tiers, where significant 2-to-5 year improvements in decision-relevant information is possible. Pursuing the third tier in a meaningful way will require significant, sustained progress under the first and second tiers. |
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