3.2. How do Climate Models Work?

Models play a key role in predicting long-term trends in climate change resulting from increasing greenhouse gas emissions.

Read the brief description of climate models in the Climate Change Evidence and Causes Booklet, p. 19-20 of the document (not pdf page numbers).

Watch the "How do Climate Models Work?" slide show from the EPA (http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/science/multimedia.html) and answer these questions:

a. How are climate models constructed and what are they designed to do?

b. How do scientists test the accuracy of models?

c. Referring to the "Estimating the Future" section, how do climate models address uncertainties arising from human behavior? Record your 1-2 paragraph response in the Lesson 3 Response Form.