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What is a Global Circulation Model (GCM)?
On this page is a video that explains how GCMs are set up and run. The Windows to the Universe page also explains what goes into models and what resolution is.
As the movie explains, properties such as temperature, wind, and moisture are
calculated at specified times in the model. Also, at the very bottom of each
column of gridcells, the climate model needs to know what kind of surface there
is - for example, land, ocean, or sea ice.
Climate models usually include smaller models to represent these different
surfaces. For example, the
GENIE model from the
University of Bristol in England has
Links and resources
On this page is a video that explains how GCMs are set up and run. The Windows to the Universe page also explains what goes into models and what resolution is.
As the movie explains, properties such as temperature, wind, and moisture are
calculated at specified times in the model. Also, at the very bottom of each
column of gridcells, the climate model needs to know what kind of surface there
is - for example, land, ocean, or sea ice.
Climate models usually include smaller models to represent these different
surfaces. For example, the
GENIE model from the
University of Bristol in England has- a land model with vegetation, soils, and ground water
- an ocean model with marine biota, ocean currents, ocean sediments, and different representations of the open ocean and coastal regions
- models that represent melting and growth of sea ice and ice sheets in polar regions
Links and resources
