Energy balance models in climate science

Abstract

Energy Balance Climate Models have a long history but only drew much attention in the late 1960s. This class of climate models is mainly based upon the balance of streams of energy from the sun and the emission of energy to space, but with simple mechanisms for transport of thermal energy from one location to another. The models only lead to estimates of the surface temperature. The value of these models is their simplicity and their use in understanding of aspects of climate change such as feedback mechanisms and problems of detection of faint signals imbedded in natural climate variability.