The changing climate of the Mediterranean basin

This short paper introduces the topical collection of rendiconti lincei. scienze fisiche e naturali, which includes contributions originating from those presented at the Conference on “The Mediterranean System: a hotspot for climate changes and adaptation”, 21-22 March 2023 at Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei in Rome. The physics of the Earth system, particularly the coupled ocean/atmosphere, constitutes the foundation for modelling the processes of climate change; its consequences strongly impact human society, and adaptation measures are required to mitigate its effects. This paper summarizes these factors by focusing on the Mediterranean Basin which can be considered a laboratory for studying, understanding and modelling global processes worldwide.