An Introduction to Climate Modeling and Analysis

paleoCAMP logo

An Introduction to Climate Modeling and Analysis#

Tutorials at the 2026 paleoCAMP | June 15–June 29, 2026

Jiang Zhu
jiangzhu@ucar.edu
Climate & Global Dynamics Laboratory
NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research

Learning Objectives#

  • Understand the basic structure of the Community Earth System Model (CESM) as software

  • Learn the four steps to set up and run a preindustrial control simulation

  • Learn to use Python/Jupyter Notebooks to analyze and visualize model output

  • Optional

    • Learn how to configure and run CESM for paleoclimate (e.g., a mid-Holocene simulation)

    • Explore how CESM simulations can be used for hypothesis testing

Prerequisites#

  • Basic introduction to Unix/Linux commands

  • Introduction to Python and Jupyter Notebooks

  • Overview of NSF NCAR computing resources and user access

Main Learning Modules#

  • Introduction to CESM: structure, components, and workflow

  • Live demonstration: how to configure, build, and submit a CESM run

  • Hands-on exercises: analyzing CESM output on NCAR’s JupyterHub

  • Option 1: Run and compare a pair of piControl and mid-Holocene simulations

  • Option 2: Analyze ITCZ and monsoon dynamics using a long mid-Holocene simulation

Info and Advanced Modules#

  • Additional resources: accessing model output and data analysis tips

  • iCESM and iTRACE analysis

  • Challenging: Configure and run a Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) simulation

Contents