Gigantica -- A Study in Maximum Habitable Planet Size

[Naima]

Thanks Naima,

Yes, I'm personally never completely convinced about any complex calculation unless I can reproduce and cross check it with a separate algorithm. That's why I generally use both Clima-Sim and ExoPlaSim together (plus a couple spreadsheets), even though both have their limitations, most importantly a lack of ocean current modelling among others. Thus, to account for the influence of ocean currents, I'm intending to simulate the effect manually by painting a 10-15 C temperature change in the appropriate areas using worldbuildingpasta's blog as a guide. I figure that Azelor's tutorial is fantastic for Earthlike planets (as is Artifexian's), but as soon as the parameters stray far from Earthly standards, (such as the Polar cell disappearing with a 4-day rotation, for example), I find it difficult to trust my own calculations, or rather my ability to follow complex guidelines without error. Unlike a human brain, the GCM software always considers every programmed variable and follows every step in an algorithm, although sometimes the equations themselves are based on approximations and assumptions. Perhaps in 20 years, conworlding will be done completely by software, which will create every aspect of your world with scientific accuracy and high-precision resolution. I dread that day, for I believe such a feat will exise all the fun from conworlding!

Peter

Consider that those programs are also approximations and aren't really thrustable in my point of view, the best course would be if you want the perfect most plausible climatic reconstruction consider getting the help of professional climatologists, may be there are some forums on that topic, I don't know, but it depends on your time, willingness and needs I thing.

[MrBragg]

Consider that those programs are also approximations and aren't really thrustable in my point of view

That is, of course, true, though especially for the case here where the parameters deviate quite a lot from the N = 1 example we have in Earth, I think Peter's approach in using ExoPlaSim has a lot of value. Don't get me wrong, I really like the climate tutorial here, though I think that by knowing the blindspots and limitations of the programs and combining their outputs with intuition seems a good approach for capturing effects that might otherwise go unnoticed by simple eyeballing.

[Naima]

That is, of course, true, though especially for the case here where the parameters deviate quite a lot from the N = 1 example we have in Earth, I think Peter's approach in using ExoPlaSim has a lot of value. Don't get me wrong, I really like the climate tutorial here, though I think that by knowing the blindspots and limitations of the programs and combining their outputs with intuition seems a good approach for capturing effects that might otherwise go unnoticed by simple eyeballing.

The realistic climate portrait is so complex that even small factors can influence whole areas, like the change of 1 degree in temperature...
One example is the uneven basin and connection to water sources can alter also the Salinity level of portions of seas and this affect also the evaporation which in turn affects the local climate and so on ...



This is why I think that perhaps the algorithms can help a bit but in the end its basically pure guess work ... informed but still guess work.