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1. a) Here we consider how much of global warming may be due to increased solar

ID: 3281342 • Letter: 1

Question

1. a) Here we consider how much of global warming may be due to increased solar output. Use the model given by equation Il.7 from Section 9.2 to calculate Earth's temperature difference between two contrasting decadal average sunspot numbers: 60 sunspots during recent decades versus 5 sunspots during the Maunder Minimum. Assume that the solar constant is given by So = 1365.5 W m-2 0.01246|R-4.6078 × 10-5R2 , where R is the sunspot number. b) Why might your calculation in (a) underestimate the total warming stemming from increased solar output?

Explanation / Answer

When R = 60, S0=1366.08

When R = 5, So= 1365.56

The reason for the underestmation in the calculations and the observations is due to the greenhouse effect, which increases the average temperature of the Earth's surface.