General circulation models

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

General circulation models (GCMs) are complex computer programs that are used to simulate Earth's climate system. They include various physical, chemical, and biological processes that drive the Earth's climate, such as the exchange of energy and moisture between the atmosphere, ocean, and land surface, and the interactions of greenhouse gases with radiation. GCMs have been extensively tested and evaluated against a range of observations, and have been shown to do a good job of reproducing many aspects of today's large-scale climate, such as the seasonal and year-to-year variation in temperature and precipitation patterns, the distribution of winds and ocean currents, and the structure of the atmosphere and ocean. While GCMs are not perfect and there are still uncertainties and limitations in their ability to simulate certain aspects of the climate system, their overall performance provides a strong basis for confidence in their projections of future climate change.

General Circulation Models