Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
—
the physics
, equations that calculate the controlling values to be applied in
the subsequent
dynamics
, these being calculated using the most recently
updated state variables.
The dynamics are then again solved and the physics re-calculated, and so on
until the run is complete.
Solving the dynamics
: GCMs use two ways to store and solve state variables,
either as individual values for each volume elements stored in a
Cartesian
Grid
, or on
a Spectral Grid
as a (truncated) series of Fourier coefficients that
describe the longitudinal variation in state variables.
●
Calculating the physics
: the divergence of state variables is calculated
throughout the atmospheric column, along with the buoyant exchanges
between cells at different levels and the surface exchanges of state variables
using (at least) the following subroutines: (a)
Radiation scheme
; (b)
Boundary-
layer scheme
; (c)
Surface-parameterization scheme
, (d)
Convection scheme
;
and (e)
Large-scale precipitation scheme
.
●
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
: an intergovernmental
body tasked with evaluating the risk of climate change caused by human
activity based on the most recent scientific, technical and socio-economic
information produced worldwide relevant to the understanding of climate
change. The 2007 IPCC Assessment Report stated that warming of the
climate system is unequivocal, and most of the observed increase in globally
averaged temperatures since the mid-twentieth century is very likely due to
the observed increase in anthropogenic (human-caused) greenhouse gas
concentrations.
●
References
Henderson-Sellers, A. & McGuffie, K. (1987)
Climate Modelling Primer.
Wiley & Sons,
Chichester, UK.
IPCC (2007)
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,
World Meteorological
Organization, Geneva 2, Switzerland, online at http://www.ipcc.ch/
