Climate model
Article
A climate model is a mathematical representation of components of the climate system and the physical, chemical, and biological processes that connect them. Models range from simple energy-balance calculations to three-dimensional simulations of the atmosphere, oceans, land, ice, and carbon cycle.
Climate models divide Earth into a grid and calculate changes in variables such as temperature, pressure, wind, humidity, clouds, ocean currents, sea ice, and soil moisture. The calculations are based on conservation laws, fluid dynamics, radiation, thermodynamics, and parameterisations of processes too small to represent directly.
Models are tested by comparing simulations with observations, historical climate variations, seasonal patterns, volcanic responses, and paleoclimate records. Ensembles are used because climate contains internal variability and because future emissions and some model parameters are uncertain.
Climate models are used to investigate mechanisms, attribute observed changes, make seasonal and decadal predictions, and project possible future climates. Their results are interpreted as ranges and probabilities rather than exact forecasts for every place and date.
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- Source / publisher: Wikipedia
- URL type: WWW
- Credits: Wikipedia
- URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_model