Item

Abstract

A strategy for 3-d modelling of the global climate system on paleo-climatic time scales is proposed. Presently available models of the general circulation type for the three major physical climate components (atmosphere, ocean and ice sheets) are quite able to simulate the present climate. They also seem to behave realistically when paleo-climatic boundary conditions are applied. However, these models are still not precise enough to define the exchange fluxes in numerical, coupled atmosphere-ocean-ice experiments. Furthermore, typical multi-level Atmospheric General Circulation Models (AGCMs) consume too much computer time to allow integrations on paleo-climatic time scales. It is suggested to replace the AGCM by a two-level atmospheric model, including a simple parameterization of the hydrological cycle, formulated to yield the stationary state for prescribed boundary conditions. With such a simplified model atmosphere, coupled integrations of the climate system over several thousand years will be possible. © 1992.