SERC New Tools Workshop, February 2008

Teaching Paleoclimate and Future Climate to Undergraduates Through EdGCM

Teaching Paleoclimate and Future Climate to Undergraduates Through EdGCM

Linda SohlColumbia University and

NASA/Goddard Institute for Space Studies

Linda SohlColumbia University and

NASA/Goddard Institute for Space Studies

SERC New Tools Workshop, February 2008

EdGCM: Educational Global Climate Model

http://edgcm.columbia.edu

SERC New Tools Workshop, February 2008

WHAT is a GCM andWHY use one in the classroom?

SERC New Tools Workshop, February 2008

Cartesian Grid General Circulation ModelsCartesian Grid General Circulation Models

(Henderson-Sellers, 1985) (Hansen et al., 1983)

SERC New Tools Workshop, February 2008

SERC New Tools Workshop, February 2008

Snowball_sim2.R Model II 8/24/2000

Owner: Dr. Mark Chandler, chandler@giss.nasa.govGroup: Paleoclimate GroupThis experiment simulates a time period approximately 600 million years ago. There is evidence that a “super” ice age occurred that effected even tropical continents. Did the Earth freeze over entirely???

Object modules:MainC9DiagC9RadC9FFTC9UTILC9

Data input files:7=G8X10_600Ma9=NOV1910.rsf_snowball15=O8X10_600Ma17=25=Modern_OceanTransports19=CD8X10_600Ma23=V8X10_600Ma26=Z8X101_600Ma21=RTAU.G25L1522=RPLK2529=Snowball_Earth_Regions

Label and Namelist:Snowball_sim2 (Snowball Earth Experiment: 600 million years ago)

&INPUTZ TAUI=10176.,IYEAR=1900, KOCEAN=1, SRCOR=.95485638151, S0X=1.,CO2=.31746031746031, USET=0.,TAUE=35040., USESLP=-12., ISTART=3,KCOPY=2,NDPRNT=-1,TAUE=10177.,TAUP=95616., &END

Snowball_sim2.R Model II 8/24/2000

Owner: Dr. Mark Chandler, chandler@giss.nasa.govGroup: Paleoclimate GroupThis experiment simulates a time period approximately 600 million years ago. There is evidence that a “super” ice age occurred that effected even tropical continents. Did the Earth freeze over entirely???

Object modules:MainC9DiagC9RadC9FFTC9UTILC9

Data input files:7=G8X10_600Ma9=NOV1910.rsf_snowball15=O8X10_600Ma17=25=Modern_OceanTransports19=CD8X10_600Ma23=V8X10_600Ma26=Z8X101_600Ma21=RTAU.G25L1522=RPLK2529=Snowball_Earth_Regions

Label and Namelist:Snowball_sim2 (Snowball Earth Experiment: 600 million years ago)

&INPUTZ TAUI=10176.,IYEAR=1900, KOCEAN=1, SRCOR=.95485638151, S0X=1.,CO2=.31746031746031, USET=0.,TAUE=35040., USESLP=-12., ISTART=3,KCOPY=2,NDPRNT=-1,TAUE=10177.,TAUP=95616., &END

From here…

SERC New Tools Workshop, February 2008

… to here

SERC New Tools Workshop, February 2008

ObjectivesObjectives

1) Allow teachers to run a NASA global climate model on a desktop computer, encouraging students to participate in the full scientific process including: experiment design, running simulations, analyzing data and reporting results.

1) Allow teachers to run a NASA global climate model on a desktop computer, encouraging students to participate in the full scientific process including: experiment design, running simulations, analyzing data and reporting results.

SERC New Tools Workshop, February 2008

ObjectivesObjectives

1) Allow teachers to run a NASA global climate model on a desktop computer, encouraging students to participate in the full scientific process including: experiment design, running simulations, analyzing data and reporting results.

2) Students come away with a deeper appreciation of the climate science, and are better equipped to evaluate conflicting perspectives on climate change as presented by the media.

1) Allow teachers to run a NASA global climate model on a desktop computer, encouraging students to participate in the full scientific process including: experiment design, running simulations, analyzing data and reporting results.

2) Students come away with a deeper appreciation of the climate science, and are better equipped to evaluate conflicting perspectives on climate change as presented by the media.

SERC New Tools Workshop, February 2008

• Can be used for a range of activities from lab exercises to full-semester projects

• Modular approach makes it possible to emphasize key aspects of models and/or the modeling process

Using EdGCM in the Classroom

SERC New Tools Workshop, February 2008

How to Teach About Paleoclimate and Future Climate In Two (Easy) Labs

How to Teach About Paleoclimate and Future Climate In Two (Easy) Labs

EdGCM labs are linked to lectures on Paleoclimate proxies and climate reconstruction

from the geologic record IPCC projections for future climate change

EdGCM labs are linked to lectures on Paleoclimate proxies and climate reconstruction

from the geologic record IPCC projections for future climate change

Emphasis is on understanding what models can and cannot do, and how their performance is validated

SERC New Tools Workshop, February 2008

Lab 1 - Paleoclimate Simulations LGM and Mid-Pliocene Warm Interval

Lab 1 - Paleoclimate Simulations LGM and Mid-Pliocene Warm Interval

Students are introduced to the main components of EdGCM: Setup Simulations, Analyze Output, Scientific Visualization

Paleoclimate simulations are qualitatively assessed against climate reconstructions based on proxy data

Comparisons of paleoclimate output with a modern “control run” establish a sense of natural climate variability

Students are introduced to the main components of EdGCM: Setup Simulations, Analyze Output, Scientific Visualization

Paleoclimate simulations are qualitatively assessed against climate reconstructions based on proxy data

Comparisons of paleoclimate output with a modern “control run” establish a sense of natural climate variability

SERC New Tools Workshop, February 2008

Last Glacial Maximumtemperature anomalies

Mid-Pliocene Warm Intervaltemperature anomalies

SERC New Tools Workshop, February 2008

Lab 2 - Future Climate Simulations Global Warming Scenarios

Lab 2 - Future Climate Simulations Global Warming Scenarios

Students compare the outcome of scenarios with gradually increasing CO2, instantaneous doubling of CO2, and a scenario of their own design

Comparison of these results with paleoclimate simulations conveys the magnitude of anthro-pogenic forcing vs. natural climate variability

Students compare the outcome of scenarios with gradually increasing CO2, instantaneous doubling of CO2, and a scenario of their own design

Comparison of these results with paleoclimate simulations conveys the magnitude of anthro-pogenic forcing vs. natural climate variability

SERC New Tools Workshop, February 2008

SERC New Tools Workshop, February 2008

Take-Away Points

• Models are imperfect representations of the world, BUT

• Overall consistency of model output with proxy data and between models (ensemble runs) demonstrates that we are on the right track!

• Models therefore have the capability to provideuseful insights for both past and future climates

SERC New Tools Workshop, February 2008

AcknowledgmentsAcknowledgments

Colleagues at Columbia / The EdGCM Project

Mark Chandler Ken Mankoff Steven Richards

Colleagues at Columbia / The EdGCM Project

Mark Chandler Ken Mankoff Steven Richards

Support provided by NASA’s Earth Science programs and the NSF Paleoclimate Program