Development of an elementary climate model: two-layer cellular case

Abstract

A qualitative understanding of the greenhouse effect has long been available through models based on globally- and time-averaged quantities. We examine here a simple 864-cell climatological model that emphasizes vertical radiative energy transport within each cell. It reproduces yearly average temperatures obtained earlier from one of these global models and predicts a locally distributed non-radiative flux when observed temperatures are employed as input data. Vertical and lateral transport of latent heat do not appear explicitly in this model. They are apparently handled well by one non-radiative flux variable, SNR, which shows a strong latitude dependence. Only the Sahara desert and Saudi Arabian regions appear to be complex. For those interested in climatology and construction of climate models, our model provides constraints upon specifying averaged non-radiative energy transport. The model is a useful simplification for learning about radiative energy transfer into and out of Earth?s atmosphere and for representing the results of more sophisticated models.