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Data saves lives
Important points
In this episode we get into the heart of a project that may mark a before and after in the way we understand and manage climate and weather: Destination Earth (DestinE)a European Commission initiative to create digital twins of the Earth. These virtual models, powered by supercomputers and huge volumes of data, make it possible to simulate extreme weather events with high accuracy and to explore adaptation strategies in the face of climate change.
https://destination-earth.eu/In this episode we get into the heart of a project that may mark a before and after in the way we understand and manage climate and weather: Destination Earth (DestinE)a European Commission initiative to create digital twins of the Earth. These virtual models, powered by supercomputers and huge volumes of data, make it possible to simulate extreme weather events with high accuracy and to explore adaptation strategies in the face of climate change.
The ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts) is one of the key institutions in its development, working together with ESA and EUMETSAT. To better understand how this technology translates into real benefits for society, we talked to four scientists who are part of this global challenge.
Llorenç Lledó - Verifying the Future
Llorenç Lledó is a physicist and mathematician with a PhD in climate physics from the Universitat de Barcelona and the Barcelona Supercomputing Center. At DestinEThe company works on developing and applying verification techniques for global forecasts on a kilometer scale. His goal: to make the models not only sophisticated, but also reliable in practice.
With more than a decade of experience ranging from academic research to the private wind energy sector, Llorenç brings unique knowledge on how to translate complex simulations into useful information for sectors such as renewable energy or risk management. He has received recognitions such as the second place in the international challenge WMO S2S-AI to improve subseasonal temperature and precipitation predictions using artificial intelligence.
Estíbaliz Gascón - High Impact Prediction
Estíbaliz Gascón is a Senior Scientist at Weather-Induced Extremes Digital Twin of DestinE, where he is dedicated to evaluate and diagnose extreme events in very high resolution global forecasts. His work includes the development of new products and statistical post-processing techniques to optimize the prediction of high impact phenomena, such as torrential rains or severe storms.
With an international career that includes collaborations with meteorological centers in Spain, Italy, Taiwan and Cyprus, Estíbaliz combines research with knowledge transfer through training and courses for forecast users. Her approach is aimed at better anticipating weather risks, allowing authorities and the population to react in good time.
Xabier Pedruzo - The earth-atmosphere connection
Xabier PedruzoD. in Atmospheric Sciences, researches how the earth's surface - be it vegetation or urban environments - interacts with the atmosphere. At DestinEas part of the project NextGEMSThe IFS model, which is crucial for accurately simulating local and regional phenomena, is leading the implementation of improvements in the surface representation of the IFS model.
His work explores processes such as the influence of vegetation cover on the daily evolution of the atmospheric boundary layer or the interaction between low clouds and the surface. He has developed his career in centers such as Wageningen University (The Netherlands) and NCAR (Boulder, USA), bringing a global and multidisciplinary approach to climate modeling.
Eduardo Penabad - Looking months ahead
Eduardo Penabad is a Senior Analyst in the production of seasonal forecasts for the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S)managed by the ECMWF. Its work consists of generating climate scenarios months ahead, which are essential for planning in sectors such as agriculture, water resource management or disaster prevention.
His career includes a long period in MeteoGaliciaHe has experience in television as a meteorological presenter in TVE and Televisión de Galicia, and the foundation of his own atmospheric and oceanic consultancy company. His profile combines the technical capacity to generate models with the communicative ability to communicate science to the general public.
In a planet increasingly exposed to extreme weather events, anticipation is key. The advances driven by Destination Earth represent an unprecedented opportunity to save lives, protect infrastructure and plan for a more resilient future. As we heard from these four experts, the marriage of science, data and technology can turn uncertainty into action.
"In an increasingly turbulent world, the difference between reacting late and anticipating can be the lives of thousands. DestinE shows us that, indeed, information is power... and the data, well used, can save lives."
