Climate System Modeling

Climate Systems Modeling presents an interdisciplinary and comprehensive study of the dynamics of the whole global system.

Kevin E. Trenberth (Edited by)

9780521128377, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 4 February 2010

820 pages
24.6 x 18.9 x 4.1 cm, 1.44 kg

Review of the hardback: 'This book is excellent value for money and can be strongly recommended for all scientific libraries.' Polar Research

This interdisciplinary volume aimed at graduate students and researchers provides a thorough grounding in the tools necessary for an appreciation of climate change and its implications. It discusses not only the primary concepts involved but also the mathematical, physical, chemical and biological basis for the component models and the sources of uncertainty, the assumptions made and the approximations introduced. Climate System Modeling addresses all aspects of the climate system: the atmosphere and the oceans, the cryosphere, terrestrial ecosystems and the biosphere, land surface processes and global biogeochemical cycles. As a comprehensive text it will appeal to students and researchers concerned with any aspect of climatology and the study of related topics in the broad earth and environmental sciences.

Part I. Introduction: 1. Introduction to climate modeling
2. Human components of the climate system
Part II. The Science: Subsystems and Processes: 3. The atmosphere
4. The ocean circulation
5. Land surface
6. Terrestrial ecosystems
7. Atmospheric chemistry
8. Marine biogeochemistry
Part III. Modeling and Parameterization: 9. Climate system simulation: basic numerical and computational concepts
10. Atmospheric general circulation modeling
11. Ocean general circulation modeling
12. Sea ice models
13. Land, ice and climate
14. Biophysical models of land surface processes
15. Chemistry transport methods
16. Biogeochemical ocean models
Part IV. Couplings and Interactions: 17. Global coupled models: atmosphere, ocean, sea ice
18. Tropical Pacific ENSO models: ENSO as a mode of the coupled system
Part V. Sensitivity Experiments and Applications: 19. Climate variability simulated in GCMs
20. Climate-model responses to increased CO2 and other greenhouse gases
21. Modeling large climatic changes of the past
22. Changes in land use
Part VI. Future Prospects: 23. Climate system modeling prospects.

Subject Areas: Computer science [UY], Meteorology & climatology [RBP], Atmospheric physics [PHVJ], Applied mathematics [PBW]