Nonlinear Climate Dynamics

This book presents stochastic dynamical systems theory in order to synthesize our current knowledge of climate variability, for graduate students and researchers.

Henk A. Dijkstra (Author)

9780521879170, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 17 June 2013

367 pages, 289 b/w illus. 13 colour illus. 11 tables
26 x 18.2 x 2.1 cm, 0.96 kg

'… the quality of the graphics, and the presentation is high and I suspect almost anyone who is willing to dedicate some time to these chapters will come away with new knowledge.' J. J. P. Smith, Bulletin of the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society

This book introduces stochastic dynamical systems theory in order to synthesize our current knowledge of climate variability. Nonlinear processes, such as advection, radiation and turbulent mixing, play a central role in climate variability. These processes can give rise to transition phenomena, associated with tipping or bifurcation points, once external conditions are changed. The theory of dynamical systems provides a systematic way to study these transition phenomena. Its stochastic extension also forms the basis of modern (nonlinear) data analysis techniques, predictability studies and data assimilation methods. Early chapters apply the stochastic dynamical systems framework to a hierarchy of climate models to synthesize current knowledge of climate variability. Later chapters analyse phenomena such as the North Atlantic Oscillation, El Niño/Southern Oscillation, Atlantic Multidecadal Variability, Dansgaard–Oeschger events, Pleistocene ice ages and climate predictability. This book will prove invaluable for graduate students and researchers in climate dynamics, physical oceanography, meteorology and paleoclimatology.

1. Climate variability
2. Deterministic dynamical systems
3. Introduction to stochastic calculus
4. Stochastic dynamical systems
5. Analysing data from stochastic dynamical systems
6. The climate modeling hierarchy
7. The North Atlantic Oscillation
8. El Niño variability
9. Multidecadal variability
10. Dansgaard–Oeschger events
11. The Pleistocene ice ages
12. Predictability.

Subject Areas: The environment [RN], Earth sciences [RB], Earth sciences, geography, environment, planning [R]