Modelling

Question 1

What are models in climate science?

Answer 1

• mathematical implementations of theoretical ideas
• initialised with present-day info to make estimates in the future
• historical and current observation to evaluate model performance and make adjustments
• observations + models = test theories
• observations = use of new instruments and data retrieval models

Question 2

(Data sources)

Land Surface

Answer 2

• Synoptic (measure temperature and precipitation)
• METAR (used by pilots to assist weather forecasting)
• surface observations are more dense in DEVELOPED countries than DEVELOPING countries

Question 3

(Data sources)

Upper Ocean

Answer 3

• Drifting buoys (free buoys that follows the currents)
• Moored buoys (chained, limited movement)
• measures temperature, pressure, salinity

Question 4

(Data sources)

Upper Air

Answer 4

• weather balloons that use hydrogen/helium, will rise to a certain height and then bursts
• measures temperature, pressure (barometer), and humidity (psychrometer)
• commercial aircrafts
• data is recorded during flights to increase safety of flights, and to be used for meteorological studies

Question 5

(Data Sources)

Satellite Remote-Sensing

Answer 5

Geostationary satellites

• able to observe very large spaces (high elevation)
• usually located above the tropics, cannot measure polar regions effectively
• limited coverage

GPS Radio Occultation

• measures the Earth’s ground movement for earthquake studies
• one satellite sends a beam to the ground, the other receives the beam

Polar-orbiting Satellites

• can only cover a small region (located at lower regions)
• have to move very fast
• a lot of satellites required

Group-based GPS
- monitor earthquakes caused by fracking

NOTE

• satellites cannot measure temperature directly
• they measure waves emitted from objects and get a temperature reading indirectly