THE IMAGE GREENHOUSE MODEL AS A MATHEMATICAL SYSTEM

In this paper we present a mathematical formulation of a well-known model of the enhanced greenhouse effect: the Dutch IMAGE model. The formulation is in the form of a dynamical system with forcing term consisting primarily of human interference in the form of emissions of greenhouse gases and land use changes. We demonstrate that a mathematical equilibrium/stability analysis of this relatively large-scale, nonlinear system is possible and yields useful insights into the underlying environmental phenomena. The mathematical formulation and technique used can be viewed as quite generic and applicable to a wide range of environmental models. In addition, our formulation should enable mathematicians and other scientists to begin a deeper structural analysis of the IMAGE (90) model, its assumptions, and conclusions.