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Introduction

This document attempts to provide a Quick Start Guide for EdGCM. Our goal is to have you using the software in less than 10 minutes. This document assumes you have already downloaded and installed the software.

Super Quick Start (EVA)

For an even Quicker Start Guide, see the EVA QuickStart Guide. EdGCM (the graphical interface to the GCM) is not required to learn about the climate and look at the results from simulations. The EVA Quick Start guide skips EdGCM, and shows you how to make images of data we supply for you. If at a later time you would like to produce your own data, then you can use EdGCM and this Quick Start document.

Start a Run

  1. Launch EdGCM
    • On OS X, the EdGCM Database icon is in the Documents and Folders section of your Dock.
    • On Windows, the EdGCM icon is installed on your Desktop
  2. Select the Modern_SpecifiedSST run from the ToolBar
  3. Select the Setup Simulations window. You must enter an owner (your name) and some info in the comments box for every run.
    • Shortcuts to the Setup Simulations window are:
    • The second icon from the left at the very top of the ToolBar
    • The Setup Simulations choice under the Window menu
    • Keyboard shortcuts (CMD+1 or CTRL+1)
  4. Press the play button.
  5. Wait about 4 hours, give or take, depending on your CPU speed.
  6. Optional: While the GCM is running, switch back to EdGCM and Setup Simulations. Select "Close all sections" at the bottom of the ToolBar. Then, open each section one at a time and look around. This information tells you all about the Modern Specified run. Under the Forcings section you can see the CO2 and other GHG values. There are not Trends entered. It is a static climate.
  7. For more information on the Setup Simulations window, register and post on the forums, or read the full EdGCM documentation

Notes:

  • The GCM is a separate application from EdGCM. You may quit EdGCM while the GCM is running.
  • The pie chart next to the run name fills in as the run completes

Post Process Data

You can begin to look at results as soon as EdGCM has completed one complete calendar year. Post-processing in EdGCM consists of two steps: Averaging results and Extracting variables.

Averaging

  1. Launch EdGCM and select the run you want to work with from the Run List
  2. Select the Analyze Output window (third icon from the left at the top of the ToolBar, or under the Windows menu)
    • The Analyze Output window has 5 major sections accessible via tabs at the top of the window: Maps, Vertical Slices, Zonal Averages, Time Series, and Diagnostic Tables. We will only focus on Maps in this Quick Start Guide.
    • The Analyze Output window is arranged top-to-bottom and then left-to-right
  3. Starting at the top left, select the year or range of years you want to work with
    • There are shortcut buttons that say Last 5 or Last 10. This is because climate scientists generally select the last 5 or 10 years of a multi year run averaged together. This reduces the signal to noise (SNR) ratio. When you look at "January" for a multi year average, this is 5 or 10 January months all averaged together
  4. Press the Average button to average the year(s).
    • When the first step of post-processing is completed, the list of years averaged is available above the Average button.

Extracting

  1. Select an average available from the first post-processing step. Your choices can be made in the list immediately above the Average button at the bottom left of the window
  2. In the main middle pane of the window, select the variables you are interested in
  3. Below the variable list, select the time periods you are interested in
    • At a minimum, make sure the Annual checkbox is checked.
  4. Press the Extract button

Visualize Results

  1. The extracted data should show up on the left column in the View Images list
    • You may double-click on the file or select it and click the View button to visualize the data
  2. See the EVA Quick Start guide to get started visualizing data

Start a Second Run

  1. Repeat the steps under "Start a Run" but this time use the Global_Warming01 run
  2. Notice the CO2 trend entered for the global warming run. Click the "View" button next to the CO2 trend to see a graph of the CO2 values that will be input to this run.
  3. Hit play for the Global_Warming_01 run. Wait about 24 hours (this run is 150 years not 10 years).

Compare Results

See the EVA Quick Start guide to learn how to compare two runs and do more advanced analysis