General Circulation Model Development: Past, Present, and Future (Volume 70) (International Geophysics, Volume 70) - Hardcover

Randall, David A.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0125780109 ISBN 13: 9780125780100

Publisher: Academic Press, 2000

Synopsis

General Circulation Models (GCMs) are rapidly assuming widespread use as powerful tools for predicting global events on time scales of months to decades, such as the onset of EL Nino, monsoons, soil moisture saturation indices, global warming estimates, and even snowfall predictions. While GCMs have been praised for helping to foretell the current El Nino and its impact on droughts in Indonesia, its full power is only now being recognized by international scientists and governments who seek to link GCMs to help them estimate fish harvests, risk of floods, landslides, and even forest fires.
Scientists in oceanography, hydrology, meteorology, and climatology and civil, ocean, and geological engineers perceive a need for a reference on GCM design. In this compilation of information by an internationally recognized group of experts, Professor Randall brings together the knowledge base of the forerunners in theoretical and applied frontiers of GCM development. General Circulation Model Development focuses on the past, present, and future design of numerical methods for general circulation modeling, as well as the physical parameterizations required for their proper implementation. Additional chapters on climate simulation and other applications provide illustrative examples of state-of-the-art GCM design.

Key Features
* Foreword by Norman Phillips
* Authoritative overviews of current issues and ideas on global circulation modeling by leading experts
* Retrospective and forward-looking chapters by Akio Arakawa of UCLA
* Historical perspectives on the early years of general circulation modeling
* Indispensable reference for researchers and graduate students

About this title

From the Back Cover

General circulation models (GCMs) are the fundamental components of the numerical models used for global weather prediction and anthropogenic climate change simulations. This volume honors the influence of Professor Akio Arakawa's pioneering work at the University of California, Los Angeles, by presenting up-to-date contributions on topics ranging from numerical methods to cumulus parameterization. Professor Randall, the editor, has woven penetrating chapters on the history of GCMs and their applications with detailed articles on ocean modeling and GCM development and insightful discussions on the future of atmospheric GCM development into a comprehensive work.
FEATURES:
* Foreword by Norman Phillips
* Authoritative overviews of current issues and ideas on global circulation modeling by leading experts
* Retrospective and forward-looking chapters by Akio Arakawa of UCLA
* Historical perspectives on the early years of general circulation modeling
* Indispensable reference for researchers and graduate students

About the Author

David Randall is Professor of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University. He is currently the Chief Editor of the Journal of Climate and Chair of the GEWEX Cloud Systems Study and the GEWEX Modeling and Prediction Programme; GEWEX is the Global Energy and Water Experiment. He is the author of over 100 journal articles on topics ranging from convection to land-surface processes to numerical methods. He leads one of very few university-based general circulation model development efforts. He is Co-Chair of the FIRE Science Team (FIRE is NASA's First ISCCP Regional Experiment; ISCCP is the International Cloud Climatology Project) and past Chair of the ARM Science Team (ARM is the U.S. Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurements Program). He is the recipient of the Meisinger Award of the American Meteorological Society and the NASA Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement.

Edition details

• Publisher: Academic Press
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0125780109
• ISBN 13: 9780125780100
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 416