From observations to simulations : a conceptual introduction to weather and climate modelling / / Antonello Pasini

• Record Nr.: UNINA9910974257403321
• Autore: Pasini Antonello
• Pubbl/distr/stampa: Hackensack, New Jersey, : ill., 2005
• ISBN: 9786611919641; 9781281919649; 1281919640; 9789812774699; 9812774696
• Edizione: [1st ed.]
• Descrizione fisica: 1 online resource (231 p.)
• Disciplina: 551.5
• Soggetti: Meteorology; Climatology
• Lingua di pubblicazione: Inglese
• Formato: Materiale a stampa
• Livello bibliografico: Monografia
• Note generali: Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph
• Nota di bibliografia: Includes bibliographical references and index.
• Nota di contenuto: Preface -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Meteorological and climatic observations. 2.1. The "state" of the weather. 2.2. A definition of climate. 2.3. An overview of meteorological and climatic observations. 2.4. Conventional observations. 2.5. Satellite observations. 2.6. Meteorological or climatic observations? 2.7. Proxy data. 2.8. Is there any evidence that the climate is changing? -- 3. Naive meteorology, coincidences and correlations. 3.1. Approaching an analysis of the data and of common experience. 3.2. A naive interpretation and its problems. 3.3. Coincidences and correlations in available data. 3.4. Let us take stock of the situation -- 4. The theoretical framework: knowledge of single phenomena and complexity of the earth system. 4.1. How can we read the "Great Book of Nature"? 4.2. The local approach to the study of a system. 4.3. The interaction between radiation and matter and the greenhouse effect. 4.4. Greenhouse gases, clouds and aerosols. 4.5. Approaching a complete scheme of warming from the bottom. 4.6. Nature of the ground and air warming. 4.7. An outline of oceanic and atmospheric dynamics. 4.8. Feedbacks and complexity of system -- 5. The Galilean experimental method: a ; digression? 5.1. Aristotelian physics of local motions and the advent of Galileo Galilei. 5.2. The Galilean "style". 5.3. A Galilean method for studying the weather and the climate? -- 6. Simulation models. 6.1. How many meanings does the word "model" have? 6.2. The simulation approach. 6.3. Conceptual novelties in the simulation method and its use -- 7. Meteorological models. 7.1. The "perception" of the weather forecasting activity. 7.2. The heart of a meteorological model: primitive equations and their numerical solutions. 7.3. Physical parameterisations. 7.4. Determination of initial state and analysis procedure. 7.5. The products of a meteorological model 7.6. The emergence of deterministic chaos and ensemble integrations. 7.7. A few conceptual remarks -- 8. Climatic models. 8.1. From weather forecasting to climate forecasting: what changes? 8.2. The concept of "attractor" and climatic simulations. 8.3. Approaching the description of a coupled and highly interacting climate system. 8.4. Experiments for validation and sensitivity testing of a climatic model. 8.5. Evolutionary validation and climatic forecasts. 8.6. Simplified models and regional-scale models. 8.7. Simulation results. 8.8. Further remarks about climate change and its study -- 9. Conclusions and prospects. 9.1. The results of climatic models and "what should we do?" 9.2. The future of models for studying the weather and climate.
• Sommario/riassunto: From Observations to Simulations leads us on a fascinating journey through the methods used for the scientific analysis of complex systems such as the atmosphere and the Earth system: from meteorology and climatology, as observational sciences, to the development of models and the use of computers as virtual laboratories. In plain, accessible language, avoiding technicalities, but highlighting the conceptually meaningful aspects, the book describes this "Copernican revolution" in meteorology and climatology, a change in methodological paradigm that rigorously tests the definition of some classical concepts, such as "causality" and "prediction." This is the first book that guides the general public (and sets the specialists thinking) through research on complex systems which is contributing to a change in our outlook on nature.