ENERGY-BALANCE CLIMATE MODELS Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • An introductory survey of the global energy balance climate models is presented with an emphasis on analytical results. A sequence of increasingly complicated models involving ice cap and radiative feedback processes are solved, and the solutions and parameter sensitivities are studied. The model parameterizations are examined critically in light of many current uncertainties. A simple seasonal model is used to study the effects of changes in orbital elements on the temperature field. A linear stability theorem and a complete nonlinear stability analysis for the models are developed. Analytical solutions are also obtained for the linearized models driven by stochastic forcing elements. In this context the relation between natural fluctuation statistics and climate sensitivity is stressed. Copyright 1981 by the American Geophysical Union.

published proceedings

  • REVIEWS OF GEOPHYSICS

altmetric score

  • 1.5

author list (cited authors)

  • NORTH, G. R., CAHALAN, R. F., & COAKLEY, J. A.

citation count

  • 509

complete list of authors

  • NORTH, GR||CAHALAN, RF||COAKLEY, JA

publication date

  • January 1981