Historical Development of Climate Models

CLIMATE MODELS ARE computational tools used to study the dynamics of the climate system and predict future climate changes. Climate models have developed historically through the growth of mathematical techniques, computational capacity of computers, data of present and past climates, and theories of component climate processes. Climate models have progressed from very simple models for regional weather prediction, to sophisticated general circulation models that simulate interactions of the atmosphere, oceans, land surfaces, ice, and biosphere. Climate models are of great relevance because they examine the effects of increased atmospheric CO2 on the Earth's average temperature. As such, climate models have been the primary source of data used by scientific communities and government organizations to draw conclusions about global warming.