Climate Model Simulations of CO2-Induced Climatic Change

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on climate model simulations of CO 2 -induced climatic change. It describes the current issues concerning the study of possible CO 2 -induced climatic change by the physical method, that is, by the use of mathematical climate models. An explanation of mathematical climate models is presented, followed by a comparison of the results of these models for the climatic change resulting from increased levels of atmospheric CO 2 . The focus is on the general circulation models and their simulations of CO 2 -induced climatic change because it is the geographical distribution of that change, which is of importance to humanity, and because the general circulation models (GCMs) simulate geographical distribution. The equilibrium simulations of eight GCMs for both doubled and quadrupled concentrations of CO 2 are considered and the geographical distributions, zonal means, and global means of the CO 2 -induced changes in surface air temperature, precipitation rate, and soil moisture are compared. The issues that are raised by that comparison are described, and recommendations for resolving those issues are presented.