An Introduction to Simple Climate Models
The major components of the climate system that are important for climatic change and its consequences, such as sea level rise, during the next century are: the atmosphere, oceans, terrestrial biosphere, glaciers and ice sheets and land surface. In order to project the impact of human perturbations on the climate system, it is necessary to calculate the effects of all the key processes operating in these climate system components and the interactions between them. These climate processes can be represented in mathematical terms based on physical laws such as the conservation of mass, momentum, and energy.
This course provides an introduction to climate models used and includes an overview of key terms, an explanation of mathematical models, and the state of climate modelling as it exists today. It explains how simple climate models work, the processes that are included in them, what their strengths and weaknesses are in relation to more complex models, the purposes to which they are applied, and why they have been used extensively by regulators and technical experts.
Once you complete your course review, you need to take a multiple-choice quiz consisting of twenty-five (25) questions to earn 5 PDH credits.
Learning Objectives
This course is intended to provide you with the following specific knowledge and skills:
- Climate Models as Tools for Scientific and Policy Analysis
- Climate and the Climate System
- Simulating Climatic Change
- Simple Climate Models
- Comparison of Surface Temperature Changes and Ocean Thermal Expansion as Simulated by AOGCMs and SCMs
Download the Course to review and begin earning your PDH credits.
We provide technical courses for PDH credits that meet Board requirements for Professional Engineers, Geologists and Land Surveyors. This courses is guaranteed to be accepted in AK, AL, AR, GA, IA, IL, ID, IN, KS, KY, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WI, WV, and WY. Before purchasing this course, please confirm that your state Board is listed above.
