Scientists have constructed a highly advanced Earth digital twin named Destination Earth (DestinE), aimed at capturing the intricacies of global climate and weather patterns. This initiative, supported by the European Commission with over €315 million from the Digital Europe programme, represents a significant leap in our ability to forecast and respond to environmental challenges. Unlike traditional models that focus on localized regions or broader global phenomena, DestinE integrates human activities with natural processes, providing a comprehensive simulation of the Earth’s systems.
The Earth digital twin operates through a sophisticated AI-powered framework that simulates interactions between natural events and human influences. This allows it to predict outcomes on vital resources like water, food, and energy. Currently, DestinE encompasses two main models: one for climate change adaptation and another for managing weather-induced extremes, utilizing data from Copernicus and other sources. This project is set to evolve, aiming to complete a full-scale digital replica of the planet by 2030.
The need for such a Earth digital twin is underscored by the increasing severity of weather patterns and their catastrophic impacts. From 1970 to 2021, extreme weather events claimed over two million lives, with certain years like 2003 and 2010 witnessing deadly heatwaves that accounted for 80% of weather-related deaths in Europe. The worsening climate crisis, highlighted by consecutive months of record-breaking global temperatures, necessitates improved predictive capabilities to better prepare and adapt to these changes.
DestinE’s role extends beyond disaster response. It provides a framework for testing hypothetical scenarios, such as the construction of wind farms across Europe or strategic crop planting in response to shifting climates. For example, the model can simulate the effectiveness of a two-meter high dike in the Netherlands against predicted extreme events up to 2050, offering invaluable data for infrastructure planning and risk assessment.
This Earth digital twin is not only a tool for immediate response but also a strategic asset in achieving long-term environmental goals. Through collaborations with the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), the European Space Agency (ESA), and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), the EU is bolstering its capabilities to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. The simulation runs on Europe’s High-performance Computers (EuroHPC), including the powerful LUMI supercomputer in Finland, which benefits from the region’s robust renewable energy resources.
The computational demands of DestinE are immense, requiring a supercomputer with 20,000 graphics processors consuming approximately 20MW of power. This has raised concerns about the climate impact of the simulation itself, highlighting the need for sustainable energy solutions in its operation. As the project progresses, additional Earth digital twins will be developed, integrating more comprehensive data to refine predictions and strategies, ultimately leading to a full digital twin of Earth by the decade’s end.
In summary, the DestinE project represents a monumental step forward in environmental modeling, providing a dynamic and detailed depiction of how our planet functions and reacts to both human activity and natural phenomena. It offers a predictive tool that will aid policymakers, scientists, and planners in making informed decisions to mitigate the impacts of climate change and severe weather, aligning with broader sustainability goals and the urgent need for environmental stewardship.