Abrupt climate change: the role of biogeochemical cycles

地球气候可以定义为一组相互作用的系统，包括大气圈、水圈、生物圈、冰冻圈和陆圈。这些因素之间的相互作用非常复杂，高度非线性，但可以通过数值气候模型进行实际研究和理解。 这些为研究过去和未来的气候提供了必要的工具，并导致了中等复杂性的UVic地球系统气候模式（ESCM）的发展。UVic ESCM包括大多数重要的气候组成部分，同时计算效率高，这一特征允许进行敏感性分析。

The Earth's climate can be defined as a group of interacting systems including the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, cryosphere and geosphere. Interactions amongst these are very complex and highly non-linear but can be realistically studied and understood using numerical climate models. These provide essential tools in the study of past and future climates, and have led to the development of the UVic Earth System Climate Model (ESCM) of intermediate complexity. The UVic ESCM includes most of the important climate components while being computationally efficient, a feature that allows sensitivity analyses to be performed.