A laboratory activity to create an energy balance model for planet Earth and obtain numerical solutions for the differential equations in the model.
Students will write code (using MATLAB or Mathematica) to model the distribution of the Earth’s surface temperature in response to increasing carbon emissions in the atmosphere. They will learn about equilibrium climate sensitivity and will estimate the dangerous threshold value for global temperature.
Use this tool to help your students find answers to:
1. Derive the model (equations) for the spatially discrete version of Budyko-Sellers zonal energy balance model.
About the Tool
Tool Name
Global Warming: A Zonal Energy Balance Model
Discipline
Mathematics and Computer Science
Topic(s) in Discipline
Mathematical Modeling; Computer Programming; MATLAB; Mathematica; Energy Balance
Climate Topic
Planetary Energy Balance, Planetary Climate, Climate Models
Type of Tool
Laboratory Activity
Grade Level
Undergraduate
Location
Global
Language
English
Translation
Developed by
Victor Padron, Normandale Community College
Hosted at
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
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