Definition
Atmospheric general circulation models (atmospheric GCMs) are mathematical models based on numerically discretized versions of differential equations that describe the atmospheric physics and dynamics, which are utilized to simulate the global atmospheric circulation. Atmospheric GCMs have several practical applications including medium-range (typically 3–10 days) weather forecasting, (see entry Weather Prediction ), seasonal forecasting (typically 3–12 months) when coupled to models of other components of the climate system such as the global ocean, and climate prediction (typically 10–1,000 years) when models of the various components of the climate system, such as sea and land ice, carbon-cycle, and biosphere models, are incorporated.
Introduction and short history
Atmospheric general circulation models are based on the fundamental fluid dynamics and thermodynamics equations that govern the transport of momentum, energy, water mass, and chemical species in the atmosphere....
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Acknowledgment
This research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the NASA.
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Teixeira, J., Taylor, M., Persson, A., Matheou, G. (2014). Atmospheric General Circulation Models. In: Njoku, E.G. (eds) Encyclopedia of Remote Sensing. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-36699-9_8
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