Energy Balance Climate Models

Written by well-known experts in the field, this textbook introduces and develops the energy balance climate models for the scientific community.
It begins with the global average models, and explores these from their elementary forms yielding the global average temperature to the incorporation of feedback mechanisms and some analytical properties of interest. The effect of stochastic forcing is then used to introduce natural variability in the models, with the global average models introducing the concept of stability theory.
The book then goes on to show that radiative equilibrium models are unstable to convection, thus leading to radiative-convective equilibrium models, and a study of their sensitivity and temporal adjustment times.
Further studies of the vertical include how heat is distributed below the Earth?s surface, including its transport in the oceans via a class of simplified ocean models, ranging from the mixed layer only to oceans that employ an upwelling-diffusion mechanism. The next step introduces the one-dimensional or zonally averaged models that take into account latitude dependence of the surface temperature fields.
Finally, the text turns to applications, including chapters paleoclimatology, detection of signals in the climate system, and optimal estimation of large scale quantities from point scale data.
Throughout, the authors work on two mathematical levels: Qualitative physical expositions of the material, and optional mathematical sections that include derivations and treatments of the equations along with some proofs of stability theorems, etc.
Thanks to its concise style, this book can be used as a supplement to a course on climate science or radiative transfer or equivalent, making it a must for many graduate students in oceanography, meteorology or climate science. It equally makes for a good introduction for policy makers, environmental agencies, and NGOs.