RE: [asa] The Mathematics of Global Warming

Someone with more expertise will have to answer this for me, but isn't this
a category error of sorts to compare the mathematics of weather prediction
with the patterns of climate change? The author seems to be talking
exclusively about the uncertainties of the dynamic system of predicting next
month's weather, and saying that is the same thing as global climate change;
which, if I understand it right, is based on long trends and observational
data, not just statistical models and differential equations? Whether AGW
turns out to be right, this criticism doesn't seem to be completely on the
mark. I know that climate predictions are based on mathematical models and
assumptions about conditions and functions, so how much do uncertain
mathematical calculations factor into the predictions of climate change
(i.e. global warming)? Do we know how much we don't know (i.e. the
potential factor of error)?
        
Jon Tandy

-----Original Message-----
From: asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu [mailto:asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu] On
Behalf Of John Walley
Sent: Monday, November 30, 2009 6:34 AM
To: AmericanScientificAffiliation
Subject: [asa] The Mathematics of Global Warming

I found this to be very interesting. I wonder if any of the mathematicians
on the list have any comment?

John

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Received on Mon Nov 30 10:03:12 2009