Reconsideration of Climate Change from the Viewpoints of Greenhouse Gas Types and Time Scale

Ryunosuke Kikuchi
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Ryunosuke Kikuchi: Departamento de Ciência Exactas e do Ambiente, ESAC, Bencanta, 3040-316 Coimbra, Portugal

Energy & Environment, 2008, vol. 19, issue 5, 691-705

Abstract: When the Earth's surface warms and emits long-wave infrared (IR) radiation, IR active gases (e.g. CO 2 , CH 4 , etc.) effectively absorb it; CO 2 is therefore one of the major challenges facing the climate research community. However, in Europe recent radiation measurement over about a decade shows that rapid temperature increase is mainly (∼65%) caused by water vapor. The following points are established through the main discussion: (i) there are a number of factors causing climate change (e.g. astronomical factors), that is, CO 2 is just one of various climate drivers; (ii) the coupling complexity of CO 2 with climate is enhanced by the time-scale extension; and (iii) this complexity involves various climate drivers with different cycles and magnitudes. The Earth's atmosphere has evolved over the last 4.5 billion years and still continues to evolve; thus, climate variability must be inevitable and complex. Future climate change may be drawn from the newly emerging discipline of complexity science.

Keywords: Climate drivers; complexity; CO2; geologic record; orbital; vapor (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2008
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:engenv:v:19:y:2008:i:5:p:691-705

DOI: 10.1260/095830508784815946

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