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1
Q

surface balance (Wm^-2)

A
  • solar in: 160 Wm^-2, longwave in = 345, longwave out = 396, net longwave out = 51, evapoaration cooling = 88, thermal cooling = 20, residual in = 0.6 Wm^-2.
  • in = 160 solar, out = 88 evaporation + 20 thermal + 51 IR,
  • plus 0.6 Wm^-2 the earth is warming up.
2
Q

atmosphere balance

A
  • solar in: 80 W, longwave in = 396 W, longwave out = 584 W, net longwave out = 188 W, condensation heating = 88, thermal heating = 20 W.
  • net radiation = 80 (solar) - 188 (longwave) = -108.
  • net non-radiative = 88 (condensation) + 20 (thermals) = 108 W.
3
Q

the atmosphere is mostly:

A

N2 (78%), O2 (21%), and Argon (1%), but none of these are greenhouse gases.

4
Q

N2 and O2

A

are too simple and can’t absorb low-energy photons - Quantum Mechanics. Diatomic.

5
Q

H2O, CO2, O3, and CH4

A

have more complicated structures and can vibrate and rotate in ways that can absorb and emit low-energy infrared photons. Polyatomic.

6
Q

CO2 in vibration

A

absorbs and emits longwave radiation.

7
Q

the complex minority constituents determine

A

the total greenhouse effect.

8
Q

greenhouse gases absorb and emit

A

terrestrial (longwave, infrared) radiation and thereby warm the surface (because the temperature decreases with altitude).

  1. most important for total GHE, natural + anthropogenic.
  2. most important contributors to human=enhancement of the GHE - need to define a natural state, usually about 1750, which we can measure from bubbles in ice, etc.
9
Q

most important GHGs overall:

A

water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and ozone (O3). these occur naturally, but CO2, CH4, and O3 are being changed by humans.

10
Q

H2O vapor

A

is a function of earth’s surface temperature.

11
Q

clouds absorb and emit

A

infrared at all wavelengths and reflect solar radiation pretty well too.

12
Q

the most important GHG for the natural atmosphere is

A

H2O

13
Q

the most important GHG for the human effect on global climate is

A

CO2.