Abstract
In this paper we discuss the meaning of feedback parameter, greenhouse effect and transient climate response usually related to the globally averaged energy balance model of Schneider and Mass. After scrutinizing this model and the corresponding planetary radiation balance we state that (a) this globally averaged energy balance model is flawed by unsuitable physical considerations, (b) the planetary radiation balance for the Earth in the absence of an atmosphere is fraught by the inappropriate assumption of a uniform surface temperature, the so-called radiative equilibrium temperature of about 255 K, and (c) the effect of the radiative anthropogenic forcing, considered as a perturbation to the natural system, is much smaller than the uncertainty involved in the solution of the model of Schneider and Mass. This uncertainty is mainly related to the empirical constants suggested by various authors and used for predicting the emission of infrared radiation by the Earth's skin. Furthermore, after inserting the absorption of solar radiation by atmospheric constituents and the exchange of sensible and latent heat between the Earth and the atmosphere into the model of Schneider and Mass the surface temperatures become appreciably lesser than the radiative equilibrium temperature. Moreover, both the model of Schneider and Mass and the Dines-type two-layer energy balance model for the Earthatmosphere system, containing the planetary radiation balance for the Earth in the absence of an atmosphere as an asymptotic solution, do not provide evidence for the existence of the so-called atmospheric greenhouse effect if realistic empirical data are used.
Highlights
Manabe and Stouffer [1] discussed the role of ocean in global warming on the basis of results obtained from coupled ocean-atmosphere models of various complexities
If the globally averaged atmospheric absorption, Aa S 4, and the globally averaged fluxes of sensible heat, H, and latent heat, E = Lv (TS ) W, at the surface of the water layer are inserted into Eq (4), where Aa is the integral absorptivity with respect to the range of solar radiation, Lv (TS ) is the specific heat of phase transition, considered as dependent on the surface temperature, Ts, and W is the water vapor flux, we will obtain
Note that Arrhenius [66] considered a similar scheme for a column of the atmosphere, i.e., he already included the absorption of solar radiation by atmospheric constituents, and the exchange of heat between the Earth’s surface and the atmosphere, but he could not assumed radiative equilibrium at the top of this atmospheric column
Summary
Manabe and Stouffer [1] discussed the role of ocean in global warming on the basis of results obtained from coupled ocean-atmosphere models of various complexities. By adopting the globally averaged energy balance model of Schneider and Mass [2] that reads They discuss the sensitivity of a global climate system. Equations (1) and (3) are well-known in the literature and may be used to predict the time required for the surface temperature to approach its new equilibrium value in response to a change in climate forcing (e.g., [3,4,5,6]). According to Dickinson [7], this equation may be considered as a very simple global energy balance climate model. A Dines-type two-layer energy balance model for the Earth-atmosphere system that contains the planetary radiation balance for the Earth in the absence of an atmosphere as an asymptotic solution is presented in section 6 and its results are briefly, but thoroughly discussed
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