Chapter 14 - Climate and Earth System Models

Abstract

Various models are used to study the climate system and its natural variability, and to simulate the interaction between the physical climate and the biosphere, and the chemical constituents of the land, atmosphere, and ocean. Models are the best tools available to test hypotheses about the factors causing climate change and to assess future Earth system developments. In this chapter, we introduce basic physical principles in energy balance models, radiative convective models, statistical dynamical models, and Earth system models consisting of atmospheric models, ocean models, land surface models, and sea ice models. Then we introduce the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project and the Geoengineering Model Intercomparison Project.