Earth system modeling

FaculteitFaculty of Science

NiveauMaster

Studiejaar2026-2027

Beschrijving

Course goals

— understand basics of temporal and spatial discretisation, and how to choose them appropriately
— acquire “bird-eye’s view” on the components of the Earth System and their interactions
— develop understanding for capturing climate processes in model equations, including parameterisations
— practice designing and evaluating model experiments
— gain an overview about current research using ESMs

Content

Numerical modelling is widely used for understanding and predicting processes in the Earth System or components thereof (atmosphere, oceans, land ice, sea ice, biosphere…). These Earth System Models (ESMs) cover a whole range from low-dimensional conceptual modes that can be run on your PC to highly complex ones that require a supercomputer to run.
The course starts with some mathematical basics on discretisation (Part 1), followed by lectures and hands-on projects with an actual, intermediate-complexity ESM (Part 2). Finally, we will discuss some ongoing developments and applications of ESMs (Part 3).

Part 1 - Discretisation. As opposed to the real world, numerical models operate on discrete time steps and spatial grid points (or, for spectral methods, wave numbers), and the discretisation method has impact on the accuracy of the eventual result. Bad choices of discretisation can even make the simulation blow up (instability). Resolution (distance between grid points) determines the spatial scales that can be modelled, but also computational costs.

Part 2 - Working with an ESM: The Earth System consists of interacting components, atmosphere, oceans, land ice, sea ice, biosphere. In each of them, physical and chemical processes take place, which have to be captured by governing equations. For some of them we know the basic equations (such as the Navier-Stokes equations which govern fluid motion), while others may be semi-empirical relations, e.g. inferred form lab experiments (cloud droplet microphysics). In addition, the components interact: For example, plant growth may be affected by rainfall fluctuations, while the plants themselves influence the atmosphere by taking up CO2. In the course, we will discuss one intermediate-complexity ESM, i.e. fairly detailed, but not so large as to require a supercomputer, which you will then use for your own model experiments (in groups).

Part 3 - Applications and current developments: Here we discuss large ESMs like CESM, their application by IMAU researchers and beyond, multi-model experiments such as the Climate Model Intercomparision Project, their validation, strengths, weaknesses and biases.
In addition, you will each read and present a paper on recent ESM research.

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