Local Model-Data Symbiosis in Meteorology and Climate Science

Abstract

I introduce a distinction between general and local model-data symbiosis and offer three examples of local symbiosis in the fields of meteorology and climate science. Local model-data symbiosis refers to a beneficial, two-way interdependence between a particular model and data set or between closely related models and data sets. For each example presented here, I show how the symbiotic relationship works—what the interdependence consists in and how it is supposed to be beneficial—and I consider whether, alongside the benefits, there is some risk of problematic circularity.