Calculated by the lab
- Stellar energy at the planet
- Global equilibrium and surface temperature
- Ice fraction and habitability checks
🔥 Runaway greenhouse
Swap in a Venus-class atmosphere and inspect the new hot, dry equilibrium.
The hot equilibrium is computed; the runaway process is not.
Building the laboratory: star, orbit, planet, atmosphere...
What actually happens
Venus is close to Earth in size, yet its carbon-dioxide atmosphere keeps the surface hot enough to melt lead. This scenario replaces Earth's atmosphere with the simulator's Venus class, raises its greenhouse control, removes nearly all ocean coverage, and turns off vegetation and city lights.
The lab computes the equilibrium temperature after that swap. It does not step through evaporation, water-vapor feedback, atmospheric escape, or the time needed to lose an ocean, so the transition is scientific context rather than a simulated forecast.
The dense clouds and dry surface are visual representations of the selected inputs. The high global temperature is computed by the simplified energy-balance model.
How the simulation unfolds
Each step is labeled so you can tell a calculated result from an explanatory visual or wider scientific context.
- Changed input
Replace Earth's atmosphere
The scenario selects a Venus-class atmosphere, strong greenhouse warming, heavy cloud cover, and very little ocean.
- Computed
Temperature jumps
The energy-balance model calculates a much hotter global equilibrium from the new atmosphere and reflectivity.
- Illustrated
Clouds hide a dry world
Dense moving clouds and a dry surface depict the selected final state.
- Scientific context
Real runaways evolve over time
Ocean evaporation and water-vapor feedback can reinforce warming, but this scenario jumps directly to an end-state setup.
What is computed, illustrated, and not modeled
Shown to explain the result
- Venus-like cloud deck
- Dry final surface
Outside this model
- Ocean boiling timeline
- Water-vapor feedback dynamics
- Atmospheric chemistry and escape
Model scope: The atmosphere and ocean are direct inputs here. Their coupled chemical and hydrologic evolution is not simulated.