This problem refers to the 1 layer atmosphere model and is related to the idea o

Question

This problem refers to the 1 layer atmosphere model and is related to the idea of geo engineering --- the idea of putting stuff into the atmosphere to reduce the amount of sunlight at the surface, to cool the planet. Common discussions are about using scattering aerosol to geo engineer by placing them into the stratosphere. This problem considers a different idea, putting black carbon aerosol into the aerosol that primarily absorb light. We are actually doing a lot of this planet-wide, as a consequence of incomplete combustion, especially from diesel fueled vehicles and sources. We'll assume that the affect of aerosol can be modeled by the solar transmissivity used in the theory.
A. What are the surface and atmospheric temperatures when the solar transmissivity is equal to 1? Explain why the surface temperature in this case is higher than the surface temperature found for the astronomical problem when we considered only the outgoing infrared radiation budget (where we obtained a brightness temperature of 255 K).
B. Now adjust the solar transmissivity until the surface temperature is lowered by 1 Kelvin. What is the solar transmissivity that gives a reduction of surface temperature by 1 Kelvin? What is the corresponding atmosphere temperature? Comparing the atmospheric temperature difference between parts A and B, what is likely to happen with the atmosphere that changes temperature by the amount you find?

Explanation / Answer

A. Transmissivity is an optical property of a material which describes how much light is transmitted through material in relation with to an amount of light incident on the material. Transmissivity depends on the wavelength of light, direction of incident and transmitted light, polarization, and type of material, etc.

Objects struck by the solar radiation absorbs the visible and short wave components. Thus, the temperatue of the object increases.

Hence, even when the Solar Transmittivity equals 1, the surface temperature remains higher due to the higher absorption, heating and the re-radiation of the energy in the form of Infra-Red wavelength radiation by the re-Radiation of the absorbed heat happens in the form of longer wavelength Infra Red wavelength by the Black Carbon artificially introduced into the atmosphere. The outgoing infrared component will become significantly higher as the absorption and heating of the incoming radiation will be higher. At 255K or, -18°c, the temperature at the Stratosphere will significantly increase due to the interplay of the heat and the atmospheric components getting altered by the presence of Carbon.

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