Welcome! We are the Cambridge Computational Climatology and Paleoceanography (C3PO ^*) group at the University of Cambridge.

Our research explores the mechanisms and magnitude of past, present, and future climate change. Our work spans sub-seasonal to millennial time intervals, and spatial scales ranging from global down to local. We integrate diverse climate “observations” – measurements ranging from sparsely situated paleo-proxies up to modern satellite data – with mathematical tools to better understand Earth’s climate system in statistically sound, mechanistically grounded ways.

A central aim of our group is to quantitatively leverage past climate changes to contexualise modern observations and constrain future projections. We specialise in bridging climate proxies and global climate model simulations; in applying and developing paleoclimate data assimilation techniques; in building statistical models; and in deciphering climate feedbacks through models and observations.

Some of our ongoing research themes include:

• Past global temperature reconstruction (e.g., Mid-Pliocene Warm Period, Last Interglacial, Last Glacial Maximum, Holocene, Marine Isotope Stage 11)
• Polar change and proxy system development (e.g., sea ice dynamics, ocean circulation, ice-ocean-atmosphere coupling)
• Cryosphere–climate coupling (e.g., ice sheet sensitivity, coastal Greenland ice changes)
• Statistical model development (e.g., causal inference, age-depth modelling, dynamical time series modelling)

We’re fortunate to collaborate frequently with researchers from across Cambridge and internationally, including through the British Antarctic Survey and the (forthcoming) CMIP7 Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project.

If you are interested in learning more about our research or opportunities to join the group, please see our join page.

^* All trademarks and copyrights for C-3PO and Star Wars are the property of Lucasfilm Ltd. and The Walt Disney Company. This reference is intended for non-commercial and entirely geeky purposes. Basically, please don’t sue us.