This video has been produced in partnership with EUMETSAT.

An atmospheric model is a mathematical model constructed around the full set of primitive dynamical equations which govern the physical behaviour of the atmosphere. Models are used for a variety of different applications in atmospheric sciences, including numerical weather prediction, climate prediction, and data assimilation.

Models can also be used to cover gaps in the data - for example, there are gaps in Arctic column ozone measurements from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite missions that retrieve total column of ozone, due to the times between polar night and day and between successive orbits.

Three examples of models that are used in atmospheric science are the radiative transfer model (RTM),  chemical transport model (CTM), and coupled Chemistry-Climate Model (CCM).

Radiative transfer models (RTM) simulate the radiative transfer interactions of light scattering and absorption through the atmosphere.  RTM is used extensively for a wide range of applications in the atmospheric sciences, including for climate models where the radiative forcing is calculated for greenhouse gases, aerosols, or clouds.

A chemical transport model (CTM) is a type of computer numerical model which typically simulates atmospheric chemistry and may give air pollution forecasting. CTMs consist of mathematical representations of the relevant physical and chemical atmospheric processes, which are solved using numerical algorithms to obtain pollutant concentrations as a function of space and time for a given set of pollutant emissions and meteorological conditions. CTMs for atmospheric pollutants are often referred to by other names, such as air-quality models.

Coupled Chemistry-Climate Models (CCM) predict both the chemistry and climate. These models have been used extensively for stratospheric ozone prediction, they simulate accurately the past stratosphere as well as determining the likely future ozone amounts and stratospheric temperature variation.

In this video, Martyn Chipperfield explains how models are produced, and goes into more detail about coupled chemistry-climate models for ozone projections.

Featured Educator

• Professor Martyn Chipperfield, Atmospheric Scientist, University of Leeds

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In partnership with EUMETSAT