INQUIRY-BASED CLIMATE MODELS

 
The following programs were implemented by the Hands-On Climatology Team  at the Geological Sciences Department at the University of Texas at Austin.
 
The programs may require Java[TM] plug-in for Applets. Click here to download the plug-in if the programs do not run in your browser.

The programs were written in Java based on the BASIC programs in McGuffie and Henderson-Sellers (1997). This site is developed for use by educators and general public. When using or linking to the programs, we ask that you acknowledge the Climate Science Program at the Geological Sciences Department at the University of Texas at Austin.

These programs:

  • are interactive
  • depict climate processes graphically

 

Complete Program List

 

  S. no         Programs

            Description

            Topics/Problems*                 

    1. Daisy Model  

daisy.html

This Program models a planet Daisyworld.

Daisyworld is an artificial world having a very simple biota which is specifically designed to display the characteristics in which we are interested - namely, close coupling of the biota and the global environment (McGuffie and Henderson-Sellers,1997).

daisy_problems.html
    2.  

LandUse Model

landuse.html

 

This Program helps you calculate the globally averaged temperature change caused by human-induced  surface albedo change (McGuffie and Henderson-Sellers, 1997). landuse_problems.html
   3.  Ocean Model

ocean.html

This is a simple box-diffusion model of the atmosphere-ocean system based on a full numerical solution of the equations described in Wigley and Schlesinger (McGuffie and Henderson-Sellers, 1997). ocean_problems.html
   4. EBM https://webspace.utexas.edu/lehman/www/ebm.html This Model is similar to those of Budyko and Sellers.

You will be offered the opportunity to alter the values of the parameters which control the model climate (McGuffie and Henderson-Sellers, 1997).

ebm_problems.html
 
*Acknowledgements: The materials in this column are based on Modeling Earth's Climate System with STELLA and an unpublished study guide entitled "Global Climates" by Ann Henderson-Sellers (1990).

The funding for this project came from Mr. Harry Lucas, Jr. through Educational Advancement Foundation. More models will be included if there are more funds available.

 
References:
 

Last updated on 04/07/10 01:11 PM by Zong-Liang Yang