Why We Get the Same Forcing for Each Doubling of Carbon Dioxide

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Prof.  David Romps

UC Berkeley

Monday April 11, 2022, 2 PM ET

Abstract:

It is well-known that the radiative forcing (i.e., reduction in outgoing longwave radiation) from carbon dioxide is approximately logarithmic in its concentration, producing about four watts per square meter of additional global-mean forcing for each doubling. These are basic facts of climate science that serve as a foundation of our understanding of anthropogenic global warming. Yet competing explanations for these basic facts have been given in the literature in recent years. This talk will explain which of these explanations is correct in a way that is accessible for non-experts: the only prerequisite is an understanding of optical depth.

Biosketch:

David M. Romps is a Professor of Climate Physics at UC Berkeley, where he studies the fundamental physics of climate and educates students and the public about global warming. He received degrees in math and physics from Yale University and a Ph.D. in physics from Harvard University. Motivated by concerns about climate change, he left the field of string theory to work on climate policy at the Woods Hole Research Center and on atmospheric dynamics at Harvard’s Center for the Environment. He then joined the faculty at UC Berkeley and currently teaches the popular course Introduction to Climate Change.

Webinar:

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