99509 - CLIMATE SYSTEM MODELLING

Learning outcomes

The student will learn the conceptual basis of earth system modelling and its major components . The student will learn how the atmospheric, oceanic, cryogenic and ecosystems components can be modelled separately and how they can be coupled using examples from state-of-the-art models. The student will be exposed to strategies to design numerical experiments, verification and validation procedures using both ensemble techniques and probabilistic approaches. At the end of the course, the student will have a grasp of logic and rationale framing of earth system modelling, and will develop a capacity to design numerical experiments and a critical understanding of the verification and validation procedures.

Course contents

1. Introduction and Historical Developments
2. Physical Description of the climate system
3. Basic Numerical methods for constructing the Earth System Model
4. Numerical Grids
5. Finite Differences
6. Spectral Methods
7. Lagrangian Methods
8. Spectral Elements
9. Finite Volume
10. Components of the Climate system
11. Atmosphere General Circulation Model: adiabatic component
12. Atmosphere General Circulation Model: diabatic processes
13. Atmosphere General Circulation Model: convection
14. Ocean General Circulation Model
15. Sea-ice models
16. Land
17. Terrestrial ecosystems models (II
18. Marine biogeochemistry
19. Atmosphere chemistry
20. The concept of climate system simulations
21. Hierarchy of global coupled models
22. The General Circulation Model as a Numerical Laboratory
23. Strategies for the design of numerical experiments
24. Verification, diagnostics and fidelity of global models.
25. Sensitivity to small perturbations
26. Probability Distribution
27. Modeling Climate Change
28. Prospects of global climate modelling

Readings/Bibliography

Warren,M.W. and C.L. Parkinson, Three-dimensional Climate Modeling, University Science Books, CA.

Trenberth, K, Climate System Modeling (selected Chapters)

Notes and other readings may be provided during the course

Teaching methods

Lectures

Assessment methods

Written test and oral exam

Office hours

See the website of Antonio Navarra