AOSC 684
Climate System Modeling

Fundamentals in building computer models to simulate the components of the climate system: atmosphere, ocean ice, land-surface, terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and the biogeochemical cycles embedded in the physical climate system, in particular, the carbon cycle. Simple to state-of-the-art research models to tackle problems such as the Daisy World, El Nino and global warming.

A main goal of the course is to help the students to relieve the 'fear' of sophisticated models via a hands-on simple-to-complex approach. The course will be conducted as 50% lecture and 50% lab in which students will build numerical models, analyze the model structure both in terms of programming and scientific content, and apply the models to various problems.  Basic knowledge of programming language such as Fortran is needed.

Readings

Numerical solution of a simple ODE; stability criterion

Multivariate ODE's; Chaos

Daisy world

3. Fundamentals of building a computer model: one dimensional models

Numerical solution of PDEs:

Wave equation; finite differencing; CFL criterion

4. 2D models

Energy balance model

5. Atmosphere, ocean and land models

A zero-D coupled ocean-atmosphere model

Numerical solution of the shallow-water equation (SWE) and its applications:

1) Gaussian forcing and spinup;

2) SST forcing: seasonal cycle and interannual variability (ENSO)

Anatomy of an atmospheric GCM (CCM3)

1) Dynamics and Numerics

2) Physical parameterizations

Land surface model

6. Carbon cycle models

Terrestrial carbon and dynamic vegetation models: the VEGAS example

Box ocean carbon models

7. Framework of an Earth System model

Coupling strategy: spatial aspects

Coupling strategy: temporal aspects

Applications

Instructor: Prof. Ning Zeng (CSS 2421, phone 301-405-5377)

Office hours: by appointment/drop by

Textbook
Introduction To Three-dimensional Climate Modeling (2nd edition) by Warren M. Washington, Claire L. Parkinson

Two reference books:

Grading method:

Each student is expected to work on a project of his or her choice. Approximately half of the semester effort is expected to be on this project. A few set of homeworks in the form of highly-simplified numerical modeling will explore the concept of numerical instability, approximation of differential equations, etc. There will be no formal exams.

Homeworks/quiz 50%

Project 50%

Project

Any project related to the numerical modeling of the climate system, either a component or coupled components such as ocean-atmosphere interaction is welcome. This semester we will encourage the students to choose research-like topics. It is my hope that some of these projects can lead to results publishable in professional journals. In order to achieve this goal, the instructor is prepared to work closely with each student on topic selection, experiment design, and result analysis.

Why is W. Africa so climatically sensitive?

The future of the Sahel

Sudden climate change in the Sahara during the Holocene: solar forcing or ocean-land-vegetation interaction?

Global warming: Shift of storm tracks at 2xCO2; zonally symmetric vs asymmetric experiments; Mediterreanean: drier because the northward shift subtrop high?

Global Warming: transient CO2, atmosphere/mixed layer ocean

Global Warming: emission, coupled carbon-climate modeling

What determines the northern limit of monsoons?

Causes of climate change over the last 1000 years?

Using space aerosols to counter global warming:  dust at the Lagrangian point

Homework #1

Think of some project ideas and discuss with people around you on its feasibility such as:

Is it of  scientific merit?

Do you have the tools/models?

Do you have enough time to finish it?

Student porjects