Abstract
Understanding how sunlight and heat move through the atmosphere is essential for accurate climate predictions and the effective use of renewable energy. However, today’s weather and climate models rely on simplified one-dimensional radiation calculations, because it is too computationally expensive to model the complex three-dimensional (3D) interactions between sunlight, clouds, aerosols, and terrain. SUNBEAM tackles the long-standing challenge of realistic 3D radiative transfer by harnessing the power of GPU computing and artificial intelligence. By developing a cutting-edge Monte Carlo ray tracing model, to simulate the complex interactions between sunlight, clouds, and the Earth’s surface. This breakthrough, enabled by multiple advanced computing and artificial intelligence techniques, will allow high-resolution models to capture how radiation truly behaves in our atmosphere, leading to better forecasts, improved climate projections, and smarter renewable energy planning. By overcoming current computational limits, SUNBEAM paves the way for the next generation of atmospheric modeling.
