Climate model

A mathematical representation of the climate system that simulates interactions among the atmosphere, ocean, land, and ice to study climate behavior and project change.

General circulation model: A numerical model that simulates large-scale circulation in the atmosphere or ocean using physical equations. It is the core dynamical framework in many comprehensive climate simulations.
Earth's energy budget: The balance between energy Earth receives from the Sun and energy it reflects or emits to space. This balance is the central accounting constraint behind simulated global temperature change.
Climate projection: A conditional estimate of future climate based on specified emissions, socioeconomic, or forcing scenarios. Projections are a principal output of climate models, not unconditional predictions.
Weather forecast: An estimate of future atmospheric conditions over a specific place and limited period. Weather forecasts estimate particular future conditions; climate models characterize statistics and long-term change.
Lewis Fry Richardson: A British mathematician and meteorologist who pioneered numerical weather prediction methods. His early computational vision helped establish the numerical approach later used in climate models.
Numerical weather prediction: The use of numerical models and observations to forecast the evolving state of the atmosphere. Its equations and computational methods overlap with climate simulation, though forecasts target shorter timescales.
Atmospheric circulation: The large-scale movement of air that redistributes heat, moisture, and momentum around Earth. Models must represent circulation to simulate regional climate and its response to forcing.
Detection and attribution of climate change: The assessment of whether observed climate changes are detectable and which factors caused them. Model experiments compare observed changes with simulated natural and human influences.
Climate prediction: An initialized estimate of climate conditions over months to years, often using observed ocean and atmosphere states. It differs from scenario-based projections by relying on the system's current state.
John von Neumann: A mathematician whose work helped advance electronic computing and early numerical weather prediction. His computing initiatives enabled practical numerical simulations of atmospheric circulation.

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