Judith Lean, Ph.D., 24 March 2008

Solar Radiation, Cosmic Rays and Greenhouse Gases: What's Driving Global Warming?

What are the relative contributions from the sun, cosmic rays, and greenhouse gases, to the observed warming in the late 20th century and what are their expected contributions during the 21st Century? How does this compare to natural climate variability of past centuries and millennia? What is the principle driver or drivers of global warming in the 20th and 21st centuries? How are cosmic rays different from solar irradiance? Are there direct measurements of solar irradiance changes over the last 30 years or so? If so, what do these measurements show? What are the signals of this solar variability in the Earth's atmosphere, and how do climate models reproduce these? Are we likely to observe additional changes in solar irradiance in the future and what might such variability have as an effect on climate? How is the ozone layer affected by solar activity changes and how does it influence surface weather and climate?

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• climate
• change
• AMS
• ESSS
• American
• Meteorological
• Society
• global
• warming
• Environment

[UncommonThinker]

Unless they turn into clouds. Then they reflect light and cool the planet.

[sansanben85]

Water vapour can't force temperature down- it is actually one of the strongest greenhouse gases!