EC-Earth2 is the second generation of the model and is based on ECMWF’s seasonal forecasting system 3. The atmospheric model of EC-Earth2 is based on cycle 31r1 of the Integrated Forecasting System (IFS) with the H-TESSEL land surface component. The ocean model is from NEMO Version 2, consisting of the Océan Parallélisé version 9 (OPA9) ocean general circulation model and the Louvain-la-Neuve Ice Model version 2 (LIM2) sea ice model.

The following papers provide a description and evaluation of EC-Earth2 at different stages of the development:

• Hazeleger, W., Wang, X., Severijns, C., Sţefanescu, S., Bintanja, R., Sterl, A., Wyser, K., Semmler, T., Yang, S., van den Hurk, B., van Noije, T., van der Linden, E., and van der Wiel, K.: EC-Earth V2.2: description and validation of a new seamless earth system prediction model, Clim. Dyn. 39, 2611–2629, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00382-011-1228-5, 2012.
• Hazeleger, W., Severijns, C., Semmler, T., Sţefanescu, S., Yang, S., Wang, X., Wyser, K., Dutra, E., Baldasano, J. M., Bintanja, R., Bougeault, P., Caballero, R., Ekman, A. M. L., Christensen, J. H., van den Hurk, B., Jimenez, P., Jones, C., Kaållberg, P., Koenigk, T., McGrath, R., Miranda, P., van Noije, T., Palmer, T., Parodi, J. A., Schmith, T., Selten, F., Storelvmo, T., Sterl, A., Tapamo, H., Vancoppenolle, M., Viterbo, P., and Willeìn, U.: EC-Earth: a seamless earth-system prediction approach in action, B. Am. Meteorol. Soc., 91, 1357–1363, https://doi.org/10.1175/2010BAMS2877.1, 2010.