EES 282 Climate, Geosphere, and Biosphere

Spring 2002

 

STELLA Labs

 

Environmental science constantly refers to and emphasizes on systems. We are not only interested in the state of a component in earth systems, but also its dynamics and the interactions among different components. In the lectures, we have discussed budget model, which has a generic format that change in storage is the difference between inflows and outflows. We have used this model concept to understand water budget in oceans and energy balance of Earth system. We have also discussed the concept of steady state.

 

In these labs, we will explore some of these systems in a numerical way. Models can be conceptual or numerical and are a representation and simplification of real world. Conceptual models describe relationships of different processes in a qualitative way, whereas numerical models are built upon the conceptual model but describe the relationships and interactions in a quantitative manner.  Here we will explore this numerical modeling approach with the computer simulation package STELLA. STELLA is a software package for building and simulating models of dynamic systems and processes. It is a learner-oriented learning tool, which provides a simplified model development environment, so the model developers can focus on concepts and relationships rather than details of mathematics and computer codes.

 

Lab I: Introducing STELLA (Feb 26)

 

Objectives:

  1. To use “Getting Started with the STELLA Software” and tutorial example (PopDynam) to learn how to use the software;
  2. To explore the potential and usefulness of the software and systems modeling approach in earth system science.

 

Earth System Concepts:

Budget model, stocks, flows, steady state, feedbacks

 

 

Lab II. Biosphere-Climate Interactions and Daisyworld (Mar 12)

 

Objectives:

  1. To continue getting familiar with the STELLA modeling environment;
  2. To understand the concept of Daisyworld and roles of biosphere in regulating our planetary living environment;
  3. To modify and improve the STELLA version of Daisyworld model.

 

Earth System Concepts:

Forcing factors, albedo, solar luminosity, greenhouse effect, non-linear system dynamics

 

Lab III. Earth’s Radiative Energy Transfer and Balance (Mar 19)

 

Objectives:

  1. To understand radiative forcing of Earth’s climate system;
  2. To appreciate the complex interactions and feedbacks within and between different components of the climate system.

 

Earth System Concepts:

Planetary energy balance, roles of the atmosphere in regulating Earth’s environment, greenhouse effect, reflectivity, interactions of sub-systems, solar variability

 

 

Lab IV. Global Carbon Cycle (Apr 16)

 

Objectives:

  1. To understand the major factors that influence the global carbon cycle;
  2. To understand the importance of time scales in investigating carbon cycle.

 

Earth System Concepts:

Carbon pools, carbon fluxes, carbon sources and sinks, photosynthesis, respiration, resident time, time scales

 

 

Lab V. Building Your Own Earth System Model (Apr 30)

 

Objectives:

  1. To investigate in more detail an “Earth System/Sub-system” that your are mostly interested in;
  2. To understand the advantages and limitations of system modeling approach.