European scientists creating 'digital twin' of Earth to predict impact of climate change

A group of scientists are building a digital twin of our planet Earth. This group of scientists, based in Europe, are building a highly detailed and accurate digital twin of planet Earth so they can model predictions based on it. Read on to find out about this digital twin of Earth. 

The Digital Twin of Earth

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As per a report by Popular Mechanics website, over the next decade, a group of talented programmers and climate change scientists will work together to create a very highly accurate model of Earth digitally. The scientists will use this model to run simulations related to climate change. global warming and a host of other situations so as to better prepare for the outcomes the planet will face in the coming years. This Earth clone project is a collaborative effort between the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts(ECMWF), the Europan Space Agency(ESA) and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites(EUMETSAT). The programming and computing for the actual project will happen at ETH Zurich and the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre(CSCS). This project is being done to help achieve Europe's goal to become completely carbon neutral by the year 2050. 

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What will the Digital Twin Do?

The scientists will use data about climate change and as well as human activities like deforestation, industrialisation, and pollution to run simulations through a supercomputer on this digital model of the Earth. The simulation will help scientists predict and determine outcomes for these events. It will help scientists determine the potential consequences of weather events as well as human structures - like for example, what will happen to the city of Venice which is basically located inside is a lake, when the water levels eventually rise or whether the Effiel Tower will survive an Earthquake. 

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ETH Zurich said in a statement that the new Earth system model will represent virtually all processes on the Earth's surface very realistically. The simulation will be able to accurately predict the impact of the influence of humans on water, food and energy generation. This will all be done in addition to climate change simulations which will accurately represent what the earth will look like if global warming doesn't get stopped or reversed in the next few years. This digital model of the Earth will serve as an important tool to combat climate change and make better decisions that will help the planet thrive. 

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