A question of the greenhouse effect…?
Question by gvstech: A question of the greenhouse effect…?
The problem: In the explanations of the greenhouse effect as related to global warming there is still much room for discussion and debate aside from the overshadowing politics. The source of the data provided in the IPCC reports are at the center of most of the discussion and debate. This question is not intended to support either side of the issues.
The scenario: On any given day the basis of the question holds true somewhere, but for simplification lets make a few assumptions. (1) The Earth is spherical. (2) The circumference of the earth is 24,900 statue miles. (3) It is the day of the equinox. (4) Ground level is sea level.
If you concern yourself with the lower atmosphere, (which is the primary source of temperature measurement for the IPCC reports), 0 to 10,000 feet is the area we are most concerned with since it is the part of the atmosphere most directly affecting surface temperatures. Since most temperature measurements are taken about 5 feet from the surface and in an enclosure, it is assumed that the air at the surface, and not the surface it’s self, is the point of concern; at least for purposes of observation. From that, we infer convection heating between the air and surface since the whole point of the matter is the warming of the earth.
The observation: At the equator, irradiance from the sun travels through the last 10,000 feet of the atmosphere before striking a square meter of the earth. At the poles, at the same moment, using the 85th parallel as an example, the energy striking a square meter of earth should be about 8.7% of the intensity of that of the equator due to the curvature of the earth. But, (again using the 85th parallel and assuming the Earth to be spherical for simplification) the energy crosses through 111,364 feet of the atmosphere below 10,000 feet AGL to strike that square meter of surface.
Consider not necessarily “greenhouse gasses”, but pollutants, smog, particulate matter, etc, introduced during and just prior to the warming period given so much concern; this would most certainly affect the air temperature at the poles and jet stream more than temperatures at the equator as the energy passes through 11 times as much atmosphere just in the last 10,000 feet above ground level. Granted the 8.7% at the surface is quite a bit less than the energy at the equator, but temperature variation measurements are local and irrelevant to the equator.
The question: (A) How is this accounted for in calculations, models, and predictions made in the IPCC reports? (B.1) If you agree with that this effect has some impact on temperatures accounted for in the global warming effect, why is this part of the green house effect (bearing in mind the greenhouse effect has only to do with radiational cooling)? (B.2) If you disagree that it is part of the greenhouse effect but agree that it has some bearing on global temperature measurement, how are man made global warming factors other than the greenhouse effect represented in the IPCC reports? And (C), if you disagree that this effect has any impact on temperature variations in the upper latitudes at all, how so?
Best answer:
Answer by david_bowman_sc
Sorry, I’d like to answer your question, but my next two years are booked.
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