McGuffie K., Henderson-Sellers A. A Climate Modelling Primer

3rd edition. — Wiley, Chichester, 2005. — 280 p. — ISBN: 0470857501.As a consequence of recent increased awareness of the social and political dimensions of climate, many non-specialists discover a need for information about the variety of available climate models. A Climate Modelling Primer, Third Edition explains the basis and mechanisms of all types of current physically-based climate models.According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a primer serves as the first means of instruction or ‘a prayer-book or devotional manual for the use of the laity’. Our motivation for the first edition of this book was the lack of a single work that provided a good introduction for those unfamiliar with the field. Although a number of excellent ‘climate modelling’ books have appeared since the ‘Primer’ was first published in 1987, the need for a book for those who are not meteorologists by training remains. This third edition of A Climate Modelling Primer follows closely the format of the previous editions but contains substantial updates where they were required. The figures have been redrawn and updated and much new material has been added relating to current issues in the climate modelling community. Few pages have escaped the red pen. The book assumes basic high-school mathematics but, in all cases, it can be read without following the mathematical development.Climate.
The components of climate.
Climate change assessment.
Climate forcings.
Climate feedbacks and sensitivity.
Range of questions for climate modelling.
A History of and Introduction to Climate Models.
Introducing climate modelling.
Types of climate models.
History of climate modelling.
Sensitivity of climate models.
Parameterization of climatic processes.
Simulation of the full, interacting climate system: one goal of modelling.
Energy Balance Models.
Balancing the planetary radiation budget.
The structure of energy balance models.
Parameterizing the climate system for energy balance models.
BASIC models.
Energy balance models and glacial cycles.
Box models – another form of energy balance model.
Energy balance models: deceptively simple models.
Intermediate Complexity Models.
Why lower complexity?
One-dimensional radiative–convective models.
Radiation: the driver of climate.
Convective adjustment.
Sensitivity experiments with radiative–convective models.
Development of radiative–convective models.
Two-dimensional statistical dynamical climate models.
The EMIC spectrum.
Why are some climate modellers Flatlanders?
Coupled Climate System Models.
Three-dimensional models of the climate system.
Modelling the atmosphere.
Modelling the ocean.
Modelling the cryosphere.
Modelling the land surface.
Atmospheric chemistry.
Coupling models: towards the predictive Earth system model.
Earth system and climate models.
Practical Climate Modelling.
Working with climate models.
Data interchange.
Earth System Modelling Frameworks.
Model evaluation.
Exploitation of climate model predictions.
Integrated assessment models.
The future of climate modelling.