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 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.
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