The international Atmospheric Circulation Reconstructions over the Earth (ACRE) initiative works to retrieve our global climate history. It harnesses the work of many professionals and volunteers to recover historical terrestrial and marine weather observations. Project members search out millions of documents, typically paper-based, convert them to electronic images and then digitise the useful data they contain.

The data supports computer-based 4D weather reconstructions (reanalyses) spanning the last 200-250 years. Climate applications and analyses of climate impacts worldwide benefit from the work of the ACRE initiative. All of the historical surface weather data and the reanalyses are freely available.

The present meeting is designed to provide a collaborative space for participants to connect, exchange ideas, and assess the current state of the art of data rescue initiatives worldwide.

AIMS OF THE 2026 MEETING

The conference calls for abstracts on the identification and recovery of historical weather observations from previously unexplored regions and time periods. Contributions may address newly uncovered data sources, novel data extraction techniques, or applications of rescued datasets. We especially encourage submissions employing automated AI/ML workflows, citizen science initiatives, and best practices, as well as studies that use historical data to investigate climate extremes, including floods, droughts, and other hazards. The meeting will also advance efforts in climate adaptation by incorporating insights from past extreme climate events.