Willis Research Network to use Earth Simulator supercomputer to help insurers understand natural catastrophes and climate change...
In an industry-first, the Willis Research Network (WRN) has joined forces with a number of universities to use one of the world's most powerful supercomputers to help insurers understand the occurrence of natural catastrophes in the face of climate change.
Over a three-year period WRN will work with teams of researchers in Japan and the UK to help apply the NEC Earth Simulator in Yokohama to the needs of the Japanese and international insurance market across a range of hazards.
The ultimate aim is to provide improved inputs into catastrophe models and realistic disaster scenarios for underwriters.
The Earth Simulator is used to run the Hadley Centre's climate model, HadGEM, under the UK-Japan Climate Collaboration (UJCC).
Recently UJCC scientists have performed climate simulations with HadGEM at unprecedented detail, enabling the study of important processes, such as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), and of climate extremes, such as cyclones, typhoons and hurricanes. It is this that has led to particular interest from the Willis Research Network.
According to Rowan Douglas, chairman of WRN, “We are just reaching the stage where the power of this immense computer platform, coupled with improvements in simulation techniques and climate modelling allow us to model regional weather and extreme events rather than just the mean climate.
"This has profound implications for insurers. It opens the possibility for the insurance market to better prepare for the level of events that may arise from climate change.”
