Climate Modeling (G63.3011)

Climate Modeling (MATH-GA 3011)

Spring 2016: Thursdays 9-10:50 am, Warren Weaver Hall 905

Course Syllabus

Assignments

For Thursday, 2/4, let's think more broadly about the goal and uses of climate models. Please read:
- Isaac Held's position paper on the need for a hierarchy of models
- Christian Jakob's position paper on the need to ground climate models in physical principles
Also, make sure you have an account on NYU's HPC system. You can request one here. List me (epg2) as your faculty sponsor and explain that you need access for this course (if asked).
2/11: The Held-Suarez Dynamical Core. Our goal is to run and analyze output from this highly simplified atmospheric model. Along the way we'll learn about high performance computing and how to work with large atmospheric data sets.
- Here is a page about the atmospheric models that we can run at NYU.
- Details on how to run them on NYU's HPC are here.
- Please read Held and Suarez (1994) to learn more about the particular model we will use.
- Also, if you're not familiar with linux / unix systems, please try out a tutorial, such as this one. Let me know if you find other resources that are helpful.
On 2/18, 2/25, and 3/3, we'll discuss moist convection. Start with the review article by Bjorn Stevens (the first link below). Then, we'll look at the details of a fairly simple convection scheme, and how it is implemented in a moist GCM, the next model in our hierarchy.
- Atmospheric Moist Convection, a review by Bjorn Stevens
- A new convection adjustment scheme. Part I: Observational and theoretical basis
- A new convection adjustment scheme. Part II: Single column tests using GATE wave, BOMEX, ATEX, and arctic air-mass data sets
- This paper explains the implementation of a simplified Betts-Miller convection scheme in an idealized climate model. The scheme is a bit easier to understand as formulated here in section 2. The Dynamics of Idealized Convection Schemes and Their Effect on the Zonally Averaged Tropical Circulation.
- Finally, this paper shows how modifying parameters in the scheme can lead to differences in tropical wave propagation. Convectively Coupled Kelvin Waves in an Idealized Moist General Circulation Model
For 3/10 and 3/24, we'll discuss the next model in our hierarchy is GRaM, a Gray Radiation Aquaplanet Moist GCM, developed by Dargan Frierson, Isaac Held, and Pablo-Zurita Gotor. It captures impact of latent heat on the energy transport of the atmosphere, but deliberately leaves out the radiative effects of water vapor. It's a substantial step up from the Held-Suarez dry dynamical core, requiring a boundary layer scheme, idealized radiation scheme, and (optionally) a simplified convection scheme. Our goal over the next weeks will be to get under the hood of these parameterization schemes.
- A Gray-Radiation Aquaplanet Moist GCM. Part I: Static Stability and Eddy Scale
For 3/31 and 4/7, we'll discuss this review paper by Vallis et al. on the response of the atmosphere to climate change.
- Response of the large-scale structure of the atmosphere to global warming
For 4/14, we'll discuss this review paper on gravity waves by Joan Alexander and coauthors.
- Recent developments in gravity-wave effects in climate models and the global distribution of gravity-wave momentum flux from observations and models
For 4/20, we'll discuss this paper by Veronika Eyring and coauthors on the next big thing in coupled climate modeling:
- Overview of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) experimental design and organisation
For 4/27, we'll discuss we'll discuss the "take home" from the CMIP5; in retrospect, perhaps I should have done this before the CMIP6 last week!
- IPCC Fifth Assessment Report: Summary For Policy Makers, Working Group 1
For our last class, we'll take a broader (geologic) perspective, and discuss the Athropocene!
- The Anthropocene: conceptual and historical perspectives

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