Glacier Mass Balance for an El Niño
Simulate an El Niño live in your browser. This runs the real Glacier Mass Balance solver — adjust the inputs, watch it respond instantly, and export the result. No install, no account.
Controls
Presets
Three slow changes in Earth's orbit — the stretch of its ellipse (eccentricity), the tilt of its axis (obliquity), and the wobble of that axis (precession) — combine to modulate summer sunlight at high latitudes. That insolation rhythm paces the glacial-interglacial cycles recorded in ice and ocean cores.
Data Inspector
Insolation forcing
Runs locally in your browser — free forever. Scale to the cloud when reality gets heavy.
Controls
Presets
A planet warms until it radiates away exactly the sunlight it absorbs. Balancing absorbed power S(1−α)/4 against εσT⁴ gives the equilibrium temperature. An emissivity below 1 represents greenhouse gases trapping outgoing infrared, raising the surface temperature.
Data Inspector
Governing equation
Runs locally in your browser — free forever. Scale to the cloud when reality gets heavy.
About this simulation
The full Glacier Mass Balance tool models an El Niño with the same numerics engineers and scientists use — running entirely client-side. Change any parameter and the result updates in real time, so you can build intuition, check a design, or teach the concept without spreadsheets or installs.
More you can do with Glacier Mass Balance
Other ways to simulate an El Niño
Frequently asked questions
- How do I simulate an El Niño?
- Open this page and use the live Glacier Mass Balance tool below — set your inputs and the simulation runs instantly in your browser using real numerics. No install, no account needed.
- Is it free?
- Yes. The simulation runs free in your browser. A one-time unlock or a Pro plan adds advanced parameters, saved presets, data import, and clean exports.
- Can I use my own numbers?
- Absolutely — every input is adjustable, and with data import you can drive an El Niño from your own measurements.