What is climate and why do we model it?

Question

Question is part of a Q&A on the NOAA site listed below. Try to answer it without looking at the site first. Then look and the site and see if you are satisfied with your initial answer.

http://www.research.noaa.gov/climate/t_modeling.html

In order to facilitate a more productive discussion, I've been trying to learn more about Climate Models. My thought is that if everybody has a better idea of what's involved with modeling, perhaps we can begin to turn the argument into a debate.

A few more sites on climate models if you want to check them out and compare. It's never good to rely on just one source for anything, I believe.

http://www.giss.nasa.gov/research/modeling/

http://edgcm.columbia.edu/

http://www.niwa.cri.nz/rc/atmos/clivar/models

http://www.usgcrp.gov/usgcrp/Library/nationalassessment/overviewtools.htm

Answer 1

Climate is quite simply the average of weather over time (normally a 30 year period is used).  

Computer models are one of the best tools science has to experiment with things not easily replicated in a simply laboratory. Science experiments related to phenomena that take years or decades to change, simply can't be done efficiently without models.

Answer 2

climate is not temperature climate is a general observation of what the weather usually is at a certain time of the year say winter you expect it to be cold um...antarcticas climate is cold and icy australia summer is very hot and dry in most places. the reason why we model it is because that how its mean to be if we change it plants and animals start to die it leads to extinction and changes the planet like if the ice shelf melts most of where i live will be gone!

Answer 3

To find correlations between potential variables (i.e. sulfates, solar output, CO2--CO2 has become particularly important lately--etc.), and climate.

Models are fairly accurate, too. There not random shots in the dark like faith-based climate theory, if such a thing exists (i.e. Intelligent Warming, the religious right's presumptive global warming equivalent of Intelligent Design). Don't believe me? Check this anomaly:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Clima...

It's not much.

Answer 4

I want to know when to plant my fields. The farmers Almanac has been doing non tech/modeling for years. I know there are at least two scenarios chaotic and standardize. The first is based on presumption the other is basically typical patterns, which is is actually more difficult. Now I'm going to look at the sites and weep.

It was a yes and no for me, I'm more interested in regional climate then global...my bad.

Answer 5

Some uncertainty about our future climate is because there are processes and feed backs between different parts of the Earth that are not fully understood.

I paraphrased this from another site I was reading up on about modeling, these sites really didn't differ in context.

Sorry I forgot to define climate, you'll have to forgive me I can be impetuous now and then.