Thank you to all participants and sponsors

The EGU sponsored Galileo Conference on The Warm Pliocene: Bridging the geological data and modelling communities took place in Leeds 23–26 August 2022. The organisers would like to thank all participants, virtual and in-person for a fantastic meeting. We had over 100 participants join us to discuss the future direction of Pliocene research. A workshop report is being produced and will be available in due course. We wish to thank all of our sponsors who made this meeting possible (EGU, NERC UK Integrated Ocean Drilling Programme and PAGES).

Goals and topics

Understanding the sensitivity of climate to changes in levels of carbon dioxide is one of the grand challenges facing society. Intervals in Earth history, such as the Pliocene (c. 3 million years ago) offer a unique testbed to understand how climate and the Earth system could respond to increased greenhouse gas emissions. Our Galileo conference will bring together the modelling and the data community, building on past successes to help define the direction of Pliocene research globally.

We aim to gather scientific experts from around the world to discuss the current state of knowledge and use this as a basis for moving forwards. We welcome Pliocene climate and Earth System modellers, and all those who focus on reconstructing the Pliocene using proxy records.

Scientific themes of the workshop focus on understanding the state-of-the-art in Pliocene research and will cover topics such as:

  • Climate and Earth System Sensitivity
  • Ocean conditions
  • Terrestrial climate (including vegetation)
  • Ice sheets and sea-level
  • Palaeogeography
  • Multi-model ensembles
  • Data-model comparison

Some key focuses of the workshop will include:

  • To understand the overall outcomes and implications of the findings of the most recent Pliocene Model Intercomparison Project 2 (PlioMIP2)
  • To consider how to expand and enhance the globally distributed and orbitally-resolved synthesis of marine data that characterises the spatial and temporal variability of the Pliocene climate, which has been a product of PlioVAR
  • To discussion how the Pliocene modelling and data community can work together in defining and developing their projects moving forward (e.g. PlioMIP3 and PlioMioVAR).

Workshop format

The workshop will be delivered both in-person, with options for virtual engagement also. The programme includes oral and poster presentations plus presentations by invited speakers. If you are only able to attend virtually, please do also submit an abstract for an oral or poster presentation and we will do our best to accommodate this when building the final programme.

A core element of the workshop will be the creation of discussion groups (moderated by discussion group leaders) with the goal of defining a future agenda for the PlioMIP3 and PlioMioVAR projects, but also understanding how these projects can best work together to enhance the collective understanding of the Pliocene climate.

Deadlines

  • Abstract Submission: Opens 14 February 2022 to 12 May 2022 (deadline 25 March 2022 for ECSs requesting financial support – see below)
  • Registration: 28 March to 12 May 2022

Financial support for Early Career Scientists

We particularly encourage Early Career Scientists (ECS) and scientists from developing nations to apply, and there will be reduced fees for participants under these categories. Additional financial support (e.g. travel funding or fee waiver) will be available for a given number of ECS and/or scientists from developing nations. To apply for additional financial support please submit this form by 25 March 2022 and return it to the lead conference organisers.

Location

The workshop (which includes overnight accommodation) will take place at Weetwood Hall, a conference venue built around a 17th Century Jacobean Manor House. Weetwood Hall is easily accessible from Leeds city centre and also a short distance from Leeds-Bradford international airport.

Organization committee

You can contact the Leaders of the workshop at any time for further information. We look forward to seeing you in Leeds (or virtually) for an exciting and productive workshop!

Dr Aisling Dolan (Co-Lead; University of Leeds )
Dr Heather Ford (Co-Lead; Queen Mary University of London )
Prof Alan Haywood (University of Leeds)
Prof Erin McClymont (Durham University)
Dr Babette Hoogakker (Herriot-Watt University)
Dr Sze Ling Ho (National Taiwan University)
Dr Bette Otto-Bliesner (NCAR)
Dr Wing-Le Chan (University of Tokyo)
Lauren Burton (PhD Candidate, University of Leeds)
Lina C. Pérez-Angel (PhD Candidate, University of Colorado Boulder)