Climate Change Research Group


1. Objectives and members

The climate change research group has only a few members, but it covers a huge variety of academic disciplines: Scientists in the fields of mountain meteorology, satellite ecology, bio-climatology, hydrology, limnology, physical geography, paleoclimatology, and climatic modeling participated in this group. To establish a cooperative mechanism for this variable group, we decided, as basic policies, to activate information exchange to center on climatic modeling. After a discussion of meetings held on the 18th of December, 2010, we set the following goals:

[Objectives]

The objectives of this group are to elucidate climate change at basin scales from the Last Glacial Maximum to the present and to forecast climate change exceeds 100 years into the future. Based on these findings, we will evaluate geomorphological and ecological changes and their effects on human beings. Finally, we will propose conserve environments.

[Specific research theme]

1) Accumulating, arranging, and integrating information on the “current” climate in the Japanese Alps region.
Establishing databases for integrating the results obtained by observations of mountain meteorology, satellite ecology, and others.

2) Climate simulations of high spatial resolution with a downscaling of the GCM model.
Setting of target area, resolution, duration, and survey focuses.

3) Accumulation of paleoclimate information with detailed temporal resolution.
Paleoclimatology: Employing proxy data derived from lake sediments.

4) Analyzing and diagnosing climatological and meteorological phenomena with numerical simulations.

[Members and their discipline (external researchers and sub-members included)]

Kenichi Ueno (Mountain meteorology), Chieko Suzuki (Climate simulation), Hiroaki Ueda (Analysis and model simulation of climate change), Atsushi Ikeda (Cold region geomorphology), Fujio Kumon (Paleoclimatology), Satoru Harayama (Mountain geomorphology), Sayuri Kawai (Paleoecology, pollen analyses), Hutong Park (Lake ecology), Ko Yasue (Dendrochronology), Hiroyuki Muraoka (Satellite ecology), Ichiro Tamagawa (Climate modeling), Taku Saito (Bio-meteorology), Toshiharu Kojima (Catchment hydrology).


2. Activities in 2010

In the kick-off meeting of June 11th, Kumon, the chief, presented the outline of this group.
On October 16th, Ueno, the vice-chief, explained the activities and objectives of this group.

In a workshop held on the morning of December 17th, fifteen research studies were presented.
Presentation titles are listed below:

Fujio Kumon (Shinshu University): Introduction
Kenichi Ueno (University of Tsukuba): Revealing change of winter weather and extreme weather
Chieko Suzuki (University of Tsukuba): Downscaling prediction of future climate in the Japanese Alps region
Akihiro Ueda (University of Tsukuba): Common ground of climate modeling, proxy, global warming and paleoclimatology
Hiroyuki Muraoka, Taku Saito (Gifu University): Core research at the Takayama site for evaluation of spatiotemporal distribution of forest ecosystem functions with employing satellite ecological methods
Fujio Kumon (Shinshu University): Paleoclimatic research in the Japanese Alps region and its action assignments
Satoru Harayama, Sayuri Kawai (Shinshu University): Revolution of mountain environments and history of geomorphic development, revealed by Kamikochi boring analyses
Ko Yasue (Shinshu University): Application of dendrochronology for recreation of paleoclimate and forecast of growth variation

Based on these presentations, we discussed research plans and related matters.
In an afternoon meeting on December 17th, eleven presentations (posters) were presented.
3. Future works

1) Assembling and sharing the observation data, which can validate the climate modeling.
We have assembled metadata to achieve the above objectives within these two fiscal years. For appropriate uses of the database, we plot out a guideline of data use after several discussions of data policy and data format.



2) Specific opinions for future tasks
Opinions and/or suggestions offered in the discussion are as follows:

* Dividing the shared data into three categories (e.g., unveiled, limited to group members, and permission required) is preferred for user-friendliness.
* Assembling data should be started in this program and thereafter expanded with other organizations.
* The meaning of ‘Present age’ depends on each researcher. Forecasting future climate requires datasets spanning several decades. Approaches depend on purposes.
* Because of the limitations of computing capacities and costs, only the time-slice approach can be used as an effective tool for simulating climatic conditions during various periods in the past.
* To expand information obtained at the super site, numerical modeling is indispensable. Incorporation with climate modeling is preferred.
* The following datasets are required: Spatial variation in mountain vegetation, snow cover conditions (particularly snowmelt seasons), proxy data, temperature and other environmental data before A.C.1600.
* Utilization Forum page in Jalps HP will be useful for data sharing.

Appeal to external organizations/people outside the group: Demand for the steering committee of JALPS

* Construction of a procedure for addressing the requests

The group leader is requested to arrange for a decision-making discussion or to present his/her research findings information to meet individual requests.

* Utilization and enhancement of JALPS HP

The group intends to expand its research objectives, activities, and human resources.


4. JALPS climate change research group meteorological data archive

We archive the meteorological data observed at the field stations of JALPS from 2006 to 2010. These data are available for JALPS members through web page. Details are available from the following site; http://www.geoenv.tsukuba.ac.jp/~jalps-atm/index.html）.

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