ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Community Climate System Model

So imagine you’re playing with a bunch of toys, like blocks, cars, and dolls. And you want to build something awesome with them, like a fort or a castle.

Now, think of the Community Climate System Model (CCSM) as a really, really big toy set, but instead of blocks and dolls, it has lots and lots of information about the Earth’s climate. Scientists use CCSM to build models that help them understand how the Earth’s climate works and how it might change in the future.

But just like building with your toys, building a climate model is a little tricky. There are lots of pieces to consider, like the atmosphere (which is like the air we breathe), the oceans, the land, and even the ice at the North and South poles. All of these pieces interact with each other in complex ways, and scientists need to figure out how to put them all together.

With CCSM, scientists can use computers to build a virtual version of the Earth’s climate. They can play around with different variables, like how much greenhouse gas is in the atmosphere, or how much sunlight is hitting the Earth. By changing these variables and seeing what happens in the computer model, scientists can make predictions about the Earth’s climate in the future.

So, in summary: The Community Climate System Model is like a giant toy set that scientists use to build virtual models of the Earth’s climate. These models help scientists learn more about how our planet works and how it might change in the future.