Idealized Models of Climate Processes

Prerequisites: Previous coursework in atmosphere and/or ocean physics and/or chemistry, and GR6901 or equivalent programming experience; or permission of instructor.  This course teaches students to design and apply idealized models of various levels of complexity to study fundamental properties of climate system processes and their interactions. Though these models typically are based in only a handful of interacting differential equations or highly simplified mechanisms, they can significantly advance process understanding. We cover three topical areas: (1) the role of the ocean in regulating atmospheric carbon dioxide on glacial-interglacial and modern historical timescales, (2) the influence of key climate system feedbacks on the Earth’s energy balance, and (3) what determines the vertical distribution of temperature and humidity in the atmosphere, and what this implies about the sensitivity of temperature to external forcing. Throughout the course, emphasis is placed on identifying assumptions underlying conclusions drawn from simple models and the time scales over which different processes operate.