SATELLITE DATA SOURCE
GEOS-
GMAO
NASA
360 370 380 390 400 410 420 430 450 460 470
10 J/kg 5000 J/kg
A HEAT-
CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2)
A minor but very important component of the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is released through natural processes such as respiration and volcano eruptions.
But is also released through human activities such as deforestation, land use changes, and burning fossil fuels.
Humans have increased atmospheric CO2 concentration by more than a third since the Industrial Revolution began. This is the most important long-
CLIMATE DRIVERS
In 2013 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) compared the influence of three changes to the environment resulting from human activity between 1750 and 2011.
Climate drivers:
- the emission of key heat-
trapping gases - the release of tiny particles known as aerosols,
- the land use change
The IPCC calculated the “radiative forcing” (RF) of each climate driver.
The RF being a parameter that represent the amount of the net increase (or decrease) of energy reaching Earth’s surface that attributes to that climate driver.
MAJOR RADIATIVE FORCING (RF) OF CO2
There are many heat-
REASON FOR SERIOUS CONCERN ABOUT CO2
There are many heat-
Of the emitted CO2 at a given moment 40% will remain in the atmosphere for 100 years and 20% will reside for 1000 years, while the final 10% will take 10,000 years to turn over.
This means that the today's heat-
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CO2 PPMV ON SURFACE LEVEL
NOMENCLATURE EARTH NULSCHOOL
Wind: Wind speed at specified height
Temp: temperature at specified height
RH: relative humidity at specified height
WPD: Instantaneous Wind Power Density [measure of power available in the wind]
TPW: Total Precipitable Water [total amount of water in a column of air stretching from ground to space]
TCW: Total Cloud Water [total amount of water in clouds in a column of air from ground to space]
3HPA: 3-
CAPE: Convective Available Potential Energy from Surface [indicates the buoyancy of air, a measure of atmospheric instability and predictor of severe weather]
MSLP: Mean Sea Level Pressure [air pressure reduced to sea level]
MI: Misery Index [perceived air temperature as combination of heat index and wind chill]
SST: Sea Surface Temperature [temperature of the ocean surface]
SSTA: Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly [difference in ocean temperature from daily average during years 1981-
HTSGW: Significant Wave Height [roughly equal to mean wave height as estimated by a "trained observer"]
Cosc: Carbon Monoxide Surface Concentration [the fraction of carbon monoxide present in air at the earth's surface]
CO2sc: Carbon Dioxide Surface Concentration [the fraction of carbon dioxide present in air at the earth's surface]
SO2sm: Sulfur Dioxide Surface Mass [amount of sulfur dioxide in the air near the earth's surface]
DUex Dust Extinction [the aerosol optical thickness (AOT) of light at 550 nm due to dust]
SO4ex; Sulfate Extinction [the aerosol optical thickness (AOT) of light at 550 nm due to sulfate]
PM1: Particulate Matter < 1 µm [mass of atmospheric particles with a diameter less than 1 micron]
PM2.5 Particulate Matter < 2.5 µm [mass of atmospheric particles with a diameter less than 2.5 microns]
PM10: Particulate Matter < 10 µm [mass of atmospheric particles with a diameter less than 10 microns]
GREEN HOUSE EFFECT
CO2 sticks around
CO2 remains in the atmosphere longer than the other major heat-
After a pulse of CO2 is emitted into the atmosphere, 40% will remain in the atmosphere for 100 years and 20% will reside for 1000 years, while the final 10% will take 10,000 years to turn over. This literally means that the heat-