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)The effective temperature of 255 K is the temperature the Earth's Surface would have if it didn't have an atmosphere. It would be awfully cold! In reality, the Earth's surface temperature is closer to 288 K (15 °C, 59 °F). This difference of 33 K is the magnitude of the greenhouse effect.

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 because By absorbing the incoming solar radiation, the Earth warms up, like a black body and its temperature rises. If the Earth would have had no atmosphere or ocean, it would get very warm on the sunlit face of the planet and much colder than we experience presently.

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