Big Data

The buzzword “big data” is associated with the extraction of value from large volumes of partly unstructured data based on automated procedures. This philosophy of science project examined to what extent big data is able to live up to this promise by contrasting and combining classical tools from climate science and big data techniques.

Big data procedures were explicitly included into climate models and climate impact models. Furthermore, scientific questions were assessed using non-scientific data. The results from these work packages were reflected based on conceptual frameworks that were developed. This allows to assess the epistemological implications of big data on scientific measurements, predictions, explanations, and understanding within the climate sciences. Furthermore, certain aspects of the results were assessed to be transferred beyond climate research.

This project was funded by the external pageSwiss National Science Foundationcall_made SNF under the NRP75 “Big Data”. The Weather and Climate Risks Group was carrying out this project in collaboration with other groups from the Department of Environmental Systems Science at ETH Zurich, namely the Climate Physics Group and the Environmental Philosophy Group.