Simple radiative models for surface warming and upper-troposphere cooling

✍ Scribed by P. N. Keating

• Book ID: 102389117
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2009
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 166 KB
• Volume: 29
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0899-8418
• DOI: 10.1002/joc.1803

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

A simple model of greenhouse‐gas radiative processes intended to make the surface‐warming effect of water‐vapour and CO~2~ absorption more readily understandable leads to a conclusion that the greenhouse gases also cool the upper troposphere. The results from the simple model are compared with experimental observations, and a functional form for the decline of vertical convection and water‐vapour radiation near the tropopause is derived from previously unexplained high‐altitude cooling‐trend data. A possible reason why global climate models do not show the observed upper‐troposphere cooling trend is tentatively suggested. Copyright © 2008 Royal Meteorological Society