How can we get an idea of how the future may look? It would be useful if we could simply gaze into a crystal ball and see the outcome of our decisions! Fortunately when it comes to climate science we have more reliable tools than this. One such tool is the scientific model. Open the Climate Model learning tool and explore the first two topics about modeling. Before moving on be sure that you can answer the following questions:

• What are limitations of scientific models?
• Is a climate model a reliable tool for forecasting future climate?

In this lesson, we will often use scientific models of future climate, together with our knowledge of past and present climate, to help grasp the effects of climate change.