Modelling the climate system: is model-based science like model-based engineering? (keynote)

Modern computational science is largely a model-building activity. At first sight, the models that scientists construct seem to differ radically from those used in model-based engineering. Scientists tend to build indicative ('how things are') models of the world using sets of continuous equations, while engineers tend to build optative ('how things should be') models of the world using structural and procedural abstractions. But a closer look reveals many fascinating similarities. In this talk, I will explore the relationship between the two types of modelling, drawing on my field studies of how climate modellers work. I'll begin with an overview of what a climate model is and how it is used. I'll then dive deeper into the engineering challenges of constructing a climate model, including the challenges of coupling disparate model components, dealing with model versioning and model management issues, and the role that climate models play in enabling collaborative work. In the process, I hope to inspire people to explore how ideas from model-based software engineering might contribute to scientific modelling in general, and, more specifically, to the societal grand challenge of climate change.