Curso: " Numerical Modeling of the Atmosphere- GCM Design and Applications "
de 26 à 29 de Outubro de 2015
Auditório Principal do IAG
Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas da Universidade de São Paulo.
Departamento de Ciências atmosféricas

Lecturer: C. Roberto Mechoso (UCLA/USA)
Teaching Assistant: Yi-Hung Kuo (UCLA/USA)

Course description

The objective of this course is to provide a broad overview of fundamental aspects on GCM design. The emphasis will be on numerical methods. The parameterization problem will be discussed and examples will be presented. A selection of CGM applications to climate problems (e.g. the Sahel drought of the 1980’s) will be outlined.

The following is a list of subjects to be covered. Basic numerical methods for initial-boundary value problems in fluid dynamics, with emphasis on applications to atmospheric and oceanographic problems. Finite-difference methods and truncation error. Linear and nonlinear computational instability. Computational modes and computational boundary conditions. Grid-point and spectral methods used in GCMs. Outlines of boundary layer and convection parameterizations. Examples of results obtained in climate studies using GCMs. Systematic errors of contemporary GCMs and routes for model improvement.

The course will consist of one-hour lecture followed by one-hour discussion both in the morning and in the afternoon. After the afternoon session, there will be a one-hour round-table discussion on selected papers on GCM applications. Lecture notes will be distributed during the course.