Author: M.E. Schlesinger
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9400930437
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 472
Book Description
The Geo-Sciences Panel is a synonym for the Special Programme on Global Transport Mechanisms in the Geo-Sciences. This Programme is one of the special programs established by the NATO Science Committee to promote the study of a specific topic using the usual NATO structures, namely, Advanced Research Workshops, Advanced Study Institutes, Conferences, Collaborative Research Grants, Research-Studies and Lecture Visits. The aim of the Programme is to stimulate and facilitate international col laboration among scientists of the member countries in selected areas of global transport mechanisms in the Earth's atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and asthenosphere, and the interactions between these global transport processes. Created in 1982, the Geo-Sciences Panel followed the Air Sea Interactions Panel which was very successful in reviewing mechanisms at the air-sea-ice interface. Initially the Geo-Sciences Panel recognized the importance of magma chambers, ore deposits, geochemical cycles, seismic activity and hydrological studies. However, the Panel was rap idly convinced that the climate system is one of the most important sys tems in which to promote research on global transport mechanisms. Consequently, the Panel welcomed the organization of a course on Physically Based Modelling and Simulation of Climate and Climatic Change. This course was launched in Belgium in 1984 during both the Liege colloquium on Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere tlodels and the Louvain-Ia Neuve General Assembly of the European Geophysical Society. Rapidly scientists recognized that this course was timely and would be well received by the climate community, especially by junior researchers in this multi- and inter-disciplinary field.
Physically-Based Modelling and Simulation of Climate and Climatic Change
Author: M.E. Schlesinger
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9400930437
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 472
Book Description
The Geo-Sciences Panel is a synonym for the Special Programme on Global Transport Mechanisms in the Geo-Sciences. This Programme is one of the special programs established by the NATO Science Committee to promote the study of a specific topic using the usual NATO structures, namely, Advanced Research Workshops, Advanced Study Institutes, Conferences, Collaborative Research Grants, Research-Studies and Lecture Visits. The aim of the Programme is to stimulate and facilitate international col laboration among scientists of the member countries in selected areas of global transport mechanisms in the Earth's atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and asthenosphere, and the interactions between these global transport processes. Created in 1982, the Geo-Sciences Panel followed the Air Sea Interactions Panel which was very successful in reviewing mechanisms at the air-sea-ice interface. Initially the Geo-Sciences Panel recognized the importance of magma chambers, ore deposits, geochemical cycles, seismic activity and hydrological studies. However, the Panel was rap idly convinced that the climate system is one of the most important sys tems in which to promote research on global transport mechanisms. Consequently, the Panel welcomed the organization of a course on Physically Based Modelling and Simulation of Climate and Climatic Change. This course was launched in Belgium in 1984 during both the Liege colloquium on Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere tlodels and the Louvain-Ia Neuve General Assembly of the European Geophysical Society. Rapidly scientists recognized that this course was timely and would be well received by the climate community, especially by junior researchers in this multi- and inter-disciplinary field.
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9400930437
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 472
Book Description
The Geo-Sciences Panel is a synonym for the Special Programme on Global Transport Mechanisms in the Geo-Sciences. This Programme is one of the special programs established by the NATO Science Committee to promote the study of a specific topic using the usual NATO structures, namely, Advanced Research Workshops, Advanced Study Institutes, Conferences, Collaborative Research Grants, Research-Studies and Lecture Visits. The aim of the Programme is to stimulate and facilitate international col laboration among scientists of the member countries in selected areas of global transport mechanisms in the Earth's atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and asthenosphere, and the interactions between these global transport processes. Created in 1982, the Geo-Sciences Panel followed the Air Sea Interactions Panel which was very successful in reviewing mechanisms at the air-sea-ice interface. Initially the Geo-Sciences Panel recognized the importance of magma chambers, ore deposits, geochemical cycles, seismic activity and hydrological studies. However, the Panel was rap idly convinced that the climate system is one of the most important sys tems in which to promote research on global transport mechanisms. Consequently, the Panel welcomed the organization of a course on Physically Based Modelling and Simulation of Climate and Climatic Change. This course was launched in Belgium in 1984 during both the Liege colloquium on Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere tlodels and the Louvain-Ia Neuve General Assembly of the European Geophysical Society. Rapidly scientists recognized that this course was timely and would be well received by the climate community, especially by junior researchers in this multi- and inter-disciplinary field.
Physically-Based Modelling and Simulation of Climate and Climatic Change
Author: M.E. Schlesinger
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9400930410
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 635
Book Description
PREFACE xv LIST OF LECTURERS xix LIST OF PARTICIPANTS xx]. VOLUME I PART I - DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF PHYSICALLY-BASED MODELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE Section 1 - Introduction GATES, W. L. - Climate and the Climate System 3 SIMMONS, A. J. and L. BENGTSSON - Atmospheric General Circulation Models: Their Design and Use for Climate Studies 23 Section 2 - Numerical Methods for Large-Scale Dynamics ARAKAWA, A. - Finite-Difference Methods in Climate Modeling 79 BOURKE, W. - Spectral Methods in Global Climate and Weather Prediction Models 169 Section 3 - Parameterization of Subgrid-Scale Physical Processes FOUQUART, Y. - Radiative Transfer in Climate Models 223 LAVAL, K. - Land Surface Processes 285 SELLERS, P. J. , Y. MINTZ, Y. C. SUD and A. DALCHER - A Brief Description of the Simple Biosphere Model (SiB) 307 SOMMERIA, G. - Parameterization of the Planetary Boundary Layer in Large-Scale Atmospheric Models 331 x TABLE OF CONTENTS TIEDTKE, M. - Parameterization of Cumulus Convection in Large-Scale Models 375 SUNDQVIST, H. - Parameterization of Condensation and Associated Clouds in Models for Weather Prediction and General Circulation Simulation 433 PART II - DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF PHYSICALLY-BASED MODELS OF THE OCEAN AND SEA ICE HAN, Y. -J. - Modelling and Simulation of the General Circulation of the Ocean 465 HIBLER, W. D. - Modelling Sea Ice Thermodynamics and Dynamics in Climate Studies 509 PART III - METHODS OF COUPLING ATMOSPHERE, OCEAN AND ICE MODELS BRYAN, K.
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9400930410
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 635
Book Description
PREFACE xv LIST OF LECTURERS xix LIST OF PARTICIPANTS xx]. VOLUME I PART I - DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF PHYSICALLY-BASED MODELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE Section 1 - Introduction GATES, W. L. - Climate and the Climate System 3 SIMMONS, A. J. and L. BENGTSSON - Atmospheric General Circulation Models: Their Design and Use for Climate Studies 23 Section 2 - Numerical Methods for Large-Scale Dynamics ARAKAWA, A. - Finite-Difference Methods in Climate Modeling 79 BOURKE, W. - Spectral Methods in Global Climate and Weather Prediction Models 169 Section 3 - Parameterization of Subgrid-Scale Physical Processes FOUQUART, Y. - Radiative Transfer in Climate Models 223 LAVAL, K. - Land Surface Processes 285 SELLERS, P. J. , Y. MINTZ, Y. C. SUD and A. DALCHER - A Brief Description of the Simple Biosphere Model (SiB) 307 SOMMERIA, G. - Parameterization of the Planetary Boundary Layer in Large-Scale Atmospheric Models 331 x TABLE OF CONTENTS TIEDTKE, M. - Parameterization of Cumulus Convection in Large-Scale Models 375 SUNDQVIST, H. - Parameterization of Condensation and Associated Clouds in Models for Weather Prediction and General Circulation Simulation 433 PART II - DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF PHYSICALLY-BASED MODELS OF THE OCEAN AND SEA ICE HAN, Y. -J. - Modelling and Simulation of the General Circulation of the Ocean 465 HIBLER, W. D. - Modelling Sea Ice Thermodynamics and Dynamics in Climate Studies 509 PART III - METHODS OF COUPLING ATMOSPHERE, OCEAN AND ICE MODELS BRYAN, K.
Replication of Chaos in Neural Networks, Economics and Physics
Author: Marat Akhmet
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3662475006
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 468
Book Description
This book presents detailed descriptions of chaos for continuous-time systems. It is the first-ever book to consider chaos as an input for differential and hybrid equations. Chaotic sets and chaotic functions are used as inputs for systems with attractors: equilibrium points, cycles and tori. The findings strongly suggest that chaos theory can proceed from the theory of differential equations to a higher level than previously thought. The approach selected is conducive to the in-depth analysis of different types of chaos. The appearance of deterministic chaos in neural networks, economics and mechanical systems is discussed theoretically and supported by simulations. As such, the book offers a valuable resource for mathematicians, physicists, engineers and economists studying nonlinear chaotic dynamics.
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3662475006
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 468
Book Description
This book presents detailed descriptions of chaos for continuous-time systems. It is the first-ever book to consider chaos as an input for differential and hybrid equations. Chaotic sets and chaotic functions are used as inputs for systems with attractors: equilibrium points, cycles and tori. The findings strongly suggest that chaos theory can proceed from the theory of differential equations to a higher level than previously thought. The approach selected is conducive to the in-depth analysis of different types of chaos. The appearance of deterministic chaos in neural networks, economics and mechanical systems is discussed theoretically and supported by simulations. As such, the book offers a valuable resource for mathematicians, physicists, engineers and economists studying nonlinear chaotic dynamics.
Movable Bed Physical Models
Author: Hsieh Wen Shen
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9400920814
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 175
Book Description
For centuries, physical models have been used to investigate complex hydraulic problems. Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) stated, "I will treat of such a subject. But first of all, 1 shall make a few experiments and then demonstrate why bodies are forced to act in this matter. " Even with the current advancements of mathematical numerical models, certain complex three-dimensional flow phenomena must still rely on physical model studies. Mathematical models cannot provide adequate solutions if physical processes involved are not completely known. Physical models are particularly attractive to investigate phenomena-involved sediment movements because many three-dimensional sediment processes are still unclear at this stage. Theoretically, there are numerous factors governing movable bed processes and it is nearly impossible to design model studies to obey all the model criteria. Sometimes, appropriate lightweight materials are difficult or too costly to obtain. Often, distorted models are used due to the limitation of available space and the requirement for greater vertical flow depth to investigate vertical differences of various parameters. The turbulence level in the model may also be maintained at a sufficient level to reproduce a similar flow pattern in the prototype. Frequently, engineers are forced to employ distorted models that cannot be designed to satisfy all governing criteria correctly. Thus each hydraulic laboratory has developed its own rules for model testing and a great deal of experience is needed to interpret model results.
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9400920814
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 175
Book Description
For centuries, physical models have been used to investigate complex hydraulic problems. Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) stated, "I will treat of such a subject. But first of all, 1 shall make a few experiments and then demonstrate why bodies are forced to act in this matter. " Even with the current advancements of mathematical numerical models, certain complex three-dimensional flow phenomena must still rely on physical model studies. Mathematical models cannot provide adequate solutions if physical processes involved are not completely known. Physical models are particularly attractive to investigate phenomena-involved sediment movements because many three-dimensional sediment processes are still unclear at this stage. Theoretically, there are numerous factors governing movable bed processes and it is nearly impossible to design model studies to obey all the model criteria. Sometimes, appropriate lightweight materials are difficult or too costly to obtain. Often, distorted models are used due to the limitation of available space and the requirement for greater vertical flow depth to investigate vertical differences of various parameters. The turbulence level in the model may also be maintained at a sufficient level to reproduce a similar flow pattern in the prototype. Frequently, engineers are forced to employ distorted models that cannot be designed to satisfy all governing criteria correctly. Thus each hydraulic laboratory has developed its own rules for model testing and a great deal of experience is needed to interpret model results.
Past and Present Variability of the Solar-Terrestrial System
Author: Società italiana di fisica
Publisher: IOS Press
ISBN: 1614992185
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 517
Book Description
The global climate of the Earth has significantly varied over the last millennia. On a regional scale, the climate has varied and does presently vary on many different time scales, leading to a continuously changing pattern of temperatures, humidity, precipitation, with important effects on the whole terrestrial biosphere. Physicist are interested in understanding the mechanism at work by gathering data and properly analysing them, by building theoretical models and, if possible, making predictions on the future evolution of the system. Along these lines, an important question is to understand the role of the solar forcing, in order to unravel the internal mechanisms of variability of the Earth's climate from the variable forcing of the Sun. On the other hand, one can learn about the past solar variability by reading into the terrestrial archives that provide us with proxy data on the history of both the Sun and the climate. Thus, realizing that the Sun and the Earth form a closely coupled system, where the variable properties of the former may affect in many subtle ways the behaviour of the latter, is an important step toward the understanding of both.This book is explicitly devoted to these issues. First, it is important to obtain reliable data from terrestrial archives, and to properly date the records that have been measured. The first part of the book is devoted to these crucial aspects, dealing with various types of proxy data and with the difficult issue of the dating of the records. Once obtained, the data has to be interpreted. This process nowadays relies upon a plethora of data analysis methods that explicitly take into account the nonlinear nature of the system and try to elucidate the dynamics and the main processes active in the measured system. The second part of the book is devoted to the issue of data analysis and prediction. Finally, once the data has been interpreted and analyzed, theoretical models have to be built describing the dynamics of the system considered. Due to the extreme complexity of the Sun/Earth system (as well as of its components, the Sun itself and the Earth's climate), drastic simplifications in the modelling efforts have to be accepted and one has to bear in mind that the models probably are nothing more than a pale image of the real dynamics. The third part of the book is devoted to the theoretical and numerical modelling of the solar and climatic variability, and of their complex interactions. This volume gives an up-to-date view of the present state of this field.
Publisher: IOS Press
ISBN: 1614992185
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 517
Book Description
The global climate of the Earth has significantly varied over the last millennia. On a regional scale, the climate has varied and does presently vary on many different time scales, leading to a continuously changing pattern of temperatures, humidity, precipitation, with important effects on the whole terrestrial biosphere. Physicist are interested in understanding the mechanism at work by gathering data and properly analysing them, by building theoretical models and, if possible, making predictions on the future evolution of the system. Along these lines, an important question is to understand the role of the solar forcing, in order to unravel the internal mechanisms of variability of the Earth's climate from the variable forcing of the Sun. On the other hand, one can learn about the past solar variability by reading into the terrestrial archives that provide us with proxy data on the history of both the Sun and the climate. Thus, realizing that the Sun and the Earth form a closely coupled system, where the variable properties of the former may affect in many subtle ways the behaviour of the latter, is an important step toward the understanding of both.This book is explicitly devoted to these issues. First, it is important to obtain reliable data from terrestrial archives, and to properly date the records that have been measured. The first part of the book is devoted to these crucial aspects, dealing with various types of proxy data and with the difficult issue of the dating of the records. Once obtained, the data has to be interpreted. This process nowadays relies upon a plethora of data analysis methods that explicitly take into account the nonlinear nature of the system and try to elucidate the dynamics and the main processes active in the measured system. The second part of the book is devoted to the issue of data analysis and prediction. Finally, once the data has been interpreted and analyzed, theoretical models have to be built describing the dynamics of the system considered. Due to the extreme complexity of the Sun/Earth system (as well as of its components, the Sun itself and the Earth's climate), drastic simplifications in the modelling efforts have to be accepted and one has to bear in mind that the models probably are nothing more than a pale image of the real dynamics. The third part of the book is devoted to the theoretical and numerical modelling of the solar and climatic variability, and of their complex interactions. This volume gives an up-to-date view of the present state of this field.
Cultures of Prediction in Atmospheric and Climate Science
Author: Matthias Heymann
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1315406306
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 339
Book Description
In recent decades, science has experienced a revolutionary shift. The development and extensive application of computer modelling and simulation has transformed the knowledge‐making practices of scientific fields as diverse as astro‐physics, genetics, robotics and demography. This epistemic transformation has brought with it a simultaneous heightening of political relevance and a renewal of international policy agendas, raising crucial questions about the nature and application of simulation knowledges throughout public policy. Through a diverse range of case studies, spanning over a century of theoretical and practical developments in the atmospheric and environmental sciences, this book argues that computer modelling and simulation have substantially changed scientific and cultural practices and shaped the emergence of novel ‘cultures of prediction’. Making an innovative, interdisciplinary contribution to understanding the impact of computer modelling on research practice, institutional configurations and broader cultures, this volume will be essential reading for anyone interested in the past, present and future of climate change and the environmental sciences.
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1315406306
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 339
Book Description
In recent decades, science has experienced a revolutionary shift. The development and extensive application of computer modelling and simulation has transformed the knowledge‐making practices of scientific fields as diverse as astro‐physics, genetics, robotics and demography. This epistemic transformation has brought with it a simultaneous heightening of political relevance and a renewal of international policy agendas, raising crucial questions about the nature and application of simulation knowledges throughout public policy. Through a diverse range of case studies, spanning over a century of theoretical and practical developments in the atmospheric and environmental sciences, this book argues that computer modelling and simulation have substantially changed scientific and cultural practices and shaped the emergence of novel ‘cultures of prediction’. Making an innovative, interdisciplinary contribution to understanding the impact of computer modelling on research practice, institutional configurations and broader cultures, this volume will be essential reading for anyone interested in the past, present and future of climate change and the environmental sciences.
A review of recent research on improvement of physical parameterizations in the GLA GCM
Author:
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
ISBN: 1428994955
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 70
Book Description
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
ISBN: 1428994955
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 70
Book Description
Warm Climates in Earth History
Author: Brian T. Huber
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521641425
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 502
Book Description
The geologic record contains evidence of greenhouse climates in the earth's past, and by studying these past conditions, we can gain greater understanding of the forcing mechanisms and feedbacks that influence today's climate. Leading experts in paleoclimatology combine in one integrated volume new and state-of-the-art paleontological, geological, and theoretical studies to assess intervals of global warmth. The book reviews what is known about the causes and consequences of globally warm climates, demonstrates current directions of research on warm climates, and outlines the central problems that remain unresolved. The chapters present new research on a number of different warm climate intervals from the early Paleozoic to the early Cenozoic. The book will be of great interest to researchers in paleoclimatology, and it will also be useful as a supplementary text on advanced undergraduate or graduate level courses in paleoclimatology and earth science.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521641425
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 502
Book Description
The geologic record contains evidence of greenhouse climates in the earth's past, and by studying these past conditions, we can gain greater understanding of the forcing mechanisms and feedbacks that influence today's climate. Leading experts in paleoclimatology combine in one integrated volume new and state-of-the-art paleontological, geological, and theoretical studies to assess intervals of global warmth. The book reviews what is known about the causes and consequences of globally warm climates, demonstrates current directions of research on warm climates, and outlines the central problems that remain unresolved. The chapters present new research on a number of different warm climate intervals from the early Paleozoic to the early Cenozoic. The book will be of great interest to researchers in paleoclimatology, and it will also be useful as a supplementary text on advanced undergraduate or graduate level courses in paleoclimatology and earth science.
Climate Change and Energy Policy
Author: L. Rosen
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9781563960178
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 572
Book Description
The first conference of its kind explicitly designed to encourage the integration of the climate change community with the energy policy- making and research communities. The book looks at climate change on many levels including its economic impact and its effect on energy technologies. Of interest to energy researchers and policy makers.
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9781563960178
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 572
Book Description
The first conference of its kind explicitly designed to encourage the integration of the climate change community with the energy policy- making and research communities. The book looks at climate change on many levels including its economic impact and its effect on energy technologies. Of interest to energy researchers and policy makers.
Climate Change and Policy
Author: Gabriele Gramelsberger
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 364217700X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 246
Book Description
The debate on how mankind should respond to climate change is diverse, as the appropriate strategy depends on global as well as local circumstances. As scientists are denied the possibility of conducting experiments with the real climate, only climate models can give insights into man-induced climate change, by experimenting with digital climates under varying conditions and by extrapolating past and future states into the future. But the ‘nature’ of models is a purely representational one. A model is good if it is believed to represent the relevant processes of a natural system well. However, a model and its results, in particular in the case of climate models which interconnect countless hypotheses, is only to some extent testable, although an advanced infrastructure of evaluation strategies has been developed involving strategies of model intercomparison, ensemble prognoses, uncertainty metrics on the system and component levels. The complexity of climate models goes hand in hand with uncertainties, but uncertainty is in conflict with socio-political expectations. However, certain predictions belong to the realm of desires and ideals rather than to applied science. Today’s attempt to define and classify uncertainty in terms of likelihood and confidence reflect this awareness of uncertainty as an integral part of human knowledge, in particular on knowledge about possible future developments. The contributions in this book give a first hand insight into scientific strategies in dealing with uncertainty by using simulation models and into social, political and economical requirements in future projections on climate change. Do these strategies and requirements meet each other or fail? The debate on how mankind should respond to climate change is diverse, as the appropriate strategy depends on global as well as local circumstances. As scientists are denied the possibility of conducting experiments with the real climate, only climate models can give insights into man-induced climate change, by experimenting with digital climates under varying conditions and by extrapolating past and future states into the future. But the 'nature' of models is a purely representational one. A model is good if it is believed to represent the relevant processes of a natural system well. However, a model and its results, in particular in the case of climate models which interconnect countless hypotheses, is only to some extent testable, although an advanced infrastructure of evaluation strategies has been developed involving strategies of model intercomparison, ensemble prognoses, uncertainty metrics on the system and component levels. The complexity of climate models goes hand in hand with uncertainties, but uncertainty is in conflict with socio-political expectations. However, certain predictions belong to the realm of desires and ideals rather than to applied science. Today's attempt to define and classify uncertainty in terms of likelihood and confidence reflect this awareness of uncertainty as an integral part of human knowledge, in particular on knowledge about possible future developments. The contributions in this book give a first hand insight into scientific strategies in dealing with uncertainty by using simulation models and into social, political and economical requirements in future projections on climate change. Do these strategies and requirements meet each other or fail? Gabriele Gramelsberger is Principal Investigator of the Collaborative Research Project is Principal Investigator of the Collaborative Research Project
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 364217700X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 246
Book Description
The debate on how mankind should respond to climate change is diverse, as the appropriate strategy depends on global as well as local circumstances. As scientists are denied the possibility of conducting experiments with the real climate, only climate models can give insights into man-induced climate change, by experimenting with digital climates under varying conditions and by extrapolating past and future states into the future. But the ‘nature’ of models is a purely representational one. A model is good if it is believed to represent the relevant processes of a natural system well. However, a model and its results, in particular in the case of climate models which interconnect countless hypotheses, is only to some extent testable, although an advanced infrastructure of evaluation strategies has been developed involving strategies of model intercomparison, ensemble prognoses, uncertainty metrics on the system and component levels. The complexity of climate models goes hand in hand with uncertainties, but uncertainty is in conflict with socio-political expectations. However, certain predictions belong to the realm of desires and ideals rather than to applied science. Today’s attempt to define and classify uncertainty in terms of likelihood and confidence reflect this awareness of uncertainty as an integral part of human knowledge, in particular on knowledge about possible future developments. The contributions in this book give a first hand insight into scientific strategies in dealing with uncertainty by using simulation models and into social, political and economical requirements in future projections on climate change. Do these strategies and requirements meet each other or fail? The debate on how mankind should respond to climate change is diverse, as the appropriate strategy depends on global as well as local circumstances. As scientists are denied the possibility of conducting experiments with the real climate, only climate models can give insights into man-induced climate change, by experimenting with digital climates under varying conditions and by extrapolating past and future states into the future. But the 'nature' of models is a purely representational one. A model is good if it is believed to represent the relevant processes of a natural system well. However, a model and its results, in particular in the case of climate models which interconnect countless hypotheses, is only to some extent testable, although an advanced infrastructure of evaluation strategies has been developed involving strategies of model intercomparison, ensemble prognoses, uncertainty metrics on the system and component levels. The complexity of climate models goes hand in hand with uncertainties, but uncertainty is in conflict with socio-political expectations. However, certain predictions belong to the realm of desires and ideals rather than to applied science. Today's attempt to define and classify uncertainty in terms of likelihood and confidence reflect this awareness of uncertainty as an integral part of human knowledge, in particular on knowledge about possible future developments. The contributions in this book give a first hand insight into scientific strategies in dealing with uncertainty by using simulation models and into social, political and economical requirements in future projections on climate change. Do these strategies and requirements meet each other or fail? Gabriele Gramelsberger is Principal Investigator of the Collaborative Research Project is Principal Investigator of the Collaborative Research Project