Earth
Richard McGehee
The Mathematics of Climate Change Seminar
University of Minnesota
School of Mathematics

 

Presentations

 

 
 
   
   
 
March 31, 2009
       More on Milankovitch Cycles , Richard McGehee
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March 24, 2009
       Milankovitch Cycles , Richard McGehee
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October 14, 2008
       Mitigation Strategies for Atmospheric Carbon, Clarence Lehman, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior
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October 7, 2008
       The Lorenz Attractor, Guowei Yu, School of Mathematics
      

TIn a seminal 1963 paper, Edward Lorenz proposed a system of three ordinary differential equations as a conceptual model of certain weather patterns. The behavior of this model has come to be viewed as placing severe limits on the predictability of the weather. Does it tell us anything about the predictability of the climate?

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September 30, 2008
       The 2007 IPCC Report, Richard McGehee, School of Mathematics
      

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is a scientific body established by the United Nations. Last year the IPCC issued a report stating "unequivocally" that the climate is warming and stating with "extreme likelihood" that human activity is causing that warming. The report also presented a series of predictions about climate change anticipated for the 21st century.

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September 23, 2008
       Hogg's Model of Glacial Cycles, Esther Widiasih, School of Mathematics
      

In a recent paper, Andrew Hogg proposed a model combining the Milankovitch cycles with the Earth's carbon cycle to produce a model of glacial cycles.

 
September 16, 2008
       The Earth's Glacial Cycles, Richard McGehee, School of Mathematics
      

The theory that the glacial cycles are driven by the changes in the Earth's orbit will be discussed.

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September 9, 2008
       The Case for Anthropogenic Warming, Richard McGehee, School of Mathematics
      

The scientific evidence for global warming and for the impact of human activity on the climate is presented and discussed.

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April 16, 2008
       "Target Atmospheric CO2: Where Should Humanity Aim?" by James Hansen, et al, Richard McGehee, School of Mathematics
      

In a recently released preprint, James Hansen, et al, present evidence that the current level of atmospheric CO2 is sufficient to create an ice-free Earth.

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April 2, 2008
       An Introduction to Milankovitch Cycles, Richard McGehee, School of Mathematics
      

The elements of the Earth's orbit change over geologic time. The hypothesized effect on the climate is discussed.

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March 5, 2008
       Energy Balance Climate Models, Esther Widiasih, School of Mathematics
      

The paper A Simple Proof of the Slope Stability Theorem for Energy Balance Climate Models, by Samuel Shen and Gerald North is discussed.

 
February 27, 2008
       Carbon Sequestration in Peat Bogs, Clarence Lehman, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior
      

Peatlands store large amounts of carbon and form a pathway through which carbon can eventually escape the biosphere. A new calculation being developed showing the amount and rate of accumulation is discussed.

 
February 20, 2008
       The Experiments by J. A. Whitehead with Thermohaline Convection, Jay Fillmore, University of California at San Diego
      

Laboratory experiments using a large reservoir and small chamber, with flow determined by the difference in salinity and temperature, support the theory of H. Stommel on multiple states of thermohaline convection.

 
February 13, 2008
       Stommel's Model of Thermohaline Convection, Esther Widiasih, School of Mathematics
      

A simple model of two reservoirs, with convection between them driven by differences in salinity and temperature, exhibits features analogous to the thermohaline convection currents in the ocean.

 
February 6, 2008
       Budyko's Ice Cover Model, Richard McGehee, School of Mathematics
      

A simple model of absorption and reflection yields multiple equilibrium states, including an ice-free Earth and an ice-covered Earth.

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January 30, 2008
       The SIAM Minisymposium on Climate Change, Richard McGehee, School of Mathematics
      

At the annual joint meetings in San Diego, the Society of Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) held a symposium on Climate Change. This lecture will report on the presentations and discussions at that meeting.

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December 5, 2007
      

Climate Sensitivity as a Random Variable, Larry Gray, School of Mathematics

      

The paper, Why is Climate Sensitivity So Unpredictable?, by Gerard H. Roe & Marica B. Baker, is discussed.

 
November 28, 2007
       Bifurcations in Ocean Circulation Models, Esther Widiasih, School of Mathematics
      

The paper, Stability of the Global Ocean Circulation: Basic Bifurcation Diagrams, by Henk A. Dijkstra & Wilber Weijer, is discussed.

 
November 7, 2007
       The IPCC Fourth Assessment Report, Richard McGehee, School of Mathematics
      

The IPCC climate predictions for the 21st Century are discussed and analyzed.

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October 31, 2007
       The IPCC Fourth Assessment Report, Richard McGehee, School of Mathematics
      

In the spring of this year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its fourth assessment report. The highlights of that report are discussed.

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October 24, 2007
       Components of the Earth's Carbon Cycle, Clarence Lehman, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior
 
October 3, 2007
       A Climate Change Primer, Richard McGehee, School of Mathematics
       The scientific evidence for human induced climate change is discussed in general terms.
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Last update: April 10, 2009 ©2009 Richard McGehee