http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/07/02/climate-models-how-they-work/ Blogging the science and policy of global warming Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:13:20 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5.2 hourly 1 http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/07/02/climate-models-how-they-work/comment-page-1/#comment-311 Climate 411 » Predicting Short-Term Change - Environmental Defense Fri, 10 Aug 2007 19:57:46 +0000 http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/07/02/climate-models-how-they-work/#comment-311 [...] Climate models are usually run far into the future, projecting temperature changes to the end of the century. Over the long term, the effects of greenhouse gases overwhelm all other factors. But climate can have substantial "short-term internal variability" - for example, temperature shifts due to El Niño and La Niña. Climate models have never been able to predict this internal variability - until now. [...] [...] Climate models are usually run far into the future, projecting temperature changes to the end of the century. Over the long term, the effects of greenhouse gases overwhelm all other factors. But climate can have substantial "short-term internal variability" – for example, temperature shifts due to El Niño and La Niña. Climate models have never been able to predict this internal variability – until now. [...]

]]> http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/07/02/climate-models-how-they-work/comment-page-1/#comment-310 Climate 411 » Climate Models: How Good Are They? - Environmental Defense Wed, 18 Jul 2007 22:26:26 +0000 http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/07/02/climate-models-how-they-work/#comment-310 [...] As I explained in my previous post, a climate model is a mathematical description of the physics and chemistry of the climate system - for example, how heat is transferred from one place to another. The inputs to the model are things like solar radiation, volcanic eruptions, and human-produced greenhouse gas emissions. Based on these inputs and the laws of physics, the model predicts temperature, precipitation, and other aspects of climate. [...] [...] As I explained in my previous post, a climate model is a mathematical description of the physics and chemistry of the climate system – for example, how heat is transferred from one place to another. The inputs to the model are things like solar radiation, volcanic eruptions, and human-produced greenhouse gas emissions. Based on these inputs and the laws of physics, the model predicts temperature, precipitation, and other aspects of climate. [...]

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