|
| 1997-14 |
FOR RELEASE AFTER:
May 1, 1997 EMBARGOED UNTIL May 1, 1997 |
| Contact: |
David Hosansky UCAR Communications P.O. Box 3000 Boulder, CO 80307-3000 Telephone: (303) 497-8611 Fax: (303) 497-8610 E-mail: hosansky@ucar.edu
|
|---|
Developed with funding from the National Science Foundation, NCAR's Climate System Model (CSM) allows researchers to examine the potential impacts on the earth's climate of tropical deforestation, changes in agricultural practices, combustion of fossil fuels, and other human activities. Computer models are a critical tool for understanding the multiple interactions of the atmosphere, land surfaces, oceans, and sea ice--the four major components of the earth's climate system modeled by the CSM.
Previous climate models required artificial "flux correction" to make them resemble real-world observations. According to Maurice Blackmon, director of NCAR's Climate and Global Dynamics division, the CSM runs without flux correction for long experiments and produces data that look very much like the real world. The large and intricate model, developed by a team of approximately 30 scientists over three years, uses all of the capabilities of NCAR's CRAY C-90 supercomputer.
"The quality of the early simulations was much higher than expected, so we have been able to begin a program of major experimental work considerably earlier than anticipated," says Blackmon. Over the next three years, NCAR scientists will use the CSM to conduct studies in preparation for the next review by the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, due in 2000. That review provides the international scientific consensus on global warming for use by policymakers and others.
The Computerworld Smithsonian awards were created in 1989 "to search out and publicly honor those men and women whose visionary use of information technology produces social, economic, and educational progress." Chief executive officers from 100 of the country's leading information technology companies select the nominees in ten categories. In 1993, NCAR scientist Robert Chervin and affiliate scientist Albert Semtner won the first annual Computerworld Smithsonian Award for Breakthrough Computational Science.
The 1997 Innovation Collection finalists will be featured at the Innovation Network's World Wide Web site premiering June 9.
NCAR is managed by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research under sponsorship by the National Science Foundation.
To receive UCAR and NCAR press releases by e-mail,
contact Milli Butterworth
telephone 303-497-8601 or by email
butterwo@ucar.edu
The National Center for Atmospheric Research and UCAR Office of Programs are operated by UCAR under the sponsorship of the National Science Foundation and other agencies. Opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of any of UCARs sponsors. UCAR is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.