EdGCM has been used for personal, professional, and educationl projects around the planet. Highlighted below are some undergraduate class papers produced using EdGCM.
Written by John Swain and Jeremiah Marsicek. Submitted in partial fulfillment of: Course No. AOS 331, Prof. Jack Williams, Dept of Geography, U. Wisconsin – Madison. Fall 2006
Sturtian Paleogeography Geologic evidence suggests that during the Sturtian period (~750Ma) of the Neoproterozoic Era the Earth was blanketed by snow and ice. Glacial deposits are found on all continents, including regions that were at low latitudes. Hoffman et al. (1998) brought the snowball Earth hypothesis to the forefront of paleoclimatic scientific interest by offering a specific explanation for the presence of glacial rock formations in mid to low latitude regions, the occurrence of cap carbonates, and the apparent collapse in surface ocean microorganisms. Our experiments using EdGCM examine the possibility that altered obliquity is an alternative possibility for the formation of low latitude glacial deposits.
Written by Dominique Alhambra and Christine Kwitek. Submitted in partial fulfillment of: Course No. AOS 331, Prof. Jack Williams, Dept of Geography, Univ. of Wisconsin – Madison. Fall 2006
The early anthropogenic hypothesis by William Ruddiman posits that human influence on climate may have actually begun thousands, not hundreds, of years ago. Increased greenhouse gas levels were not solely caused by greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel burning after the start of the Industrial Revolution, but also caused by our ancestors’ first agricultural developments. The resultant rise in temperature then delayed the glacial onset that should have occurred naturally. Through climate simulations with the EdGCM model, we compared pre- and post-industrial levels to estimated natural levels for five greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and two chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Our results put our model at, or very close to, an incipient glacial state, supporting the hypothesis of an overdue glaciation.
Written by Mark Chandler. Sunday, 11 December 2005
Change in Annual Snowfall Tracking the changes in temperature and snowfall over Greenland is of great interest to scientists because of the concern that global warming could lead to a melting of the Greenland ice sheet and add to rising sea levels.
We are interested in using EdGCM to explore whether or not the climate model can give us insight into the potential for snow to increase in a warming climate, especially over Greenland.