Climate‐chemical interactions and effects of changing atmospheric trace gases

Ramanathan, V.; Callis, L. B.; Cess, R. D.; Hansen, James E.; Isaksen, I. S. A.; Kuhn, W. R.; Lacis, A. A.; Luther, F. M.; Mahlman, J. D.; Reck, Ruth A.; Schlesinger, Michael E.

doi:10.1029/rg025i007p01441

Cited by 249 publications

(138 citation statements)

References 143 publications

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“…The resulting change in surface temperature shown in Table 4 assumes that no climatic feedback processes occur in the atmosphere. These results are based on the studies of Rind and Lacis (1993), although similar results have been found with other models (Ramanathan et al, 1987). Fig.…”

Section: Projecting Future Changes In Forcingsupporting

confidence: 87%

“…This de®nition is based on earlier climate modeling studies, which indicated an approximately linear relationship between the global mean radiative forcing at the tropopause and the resulting global mean surface temperature change (e.g. Hansen et al, 1981;Ramanathan et al, 1985Ramanathan et al, , 1987. However, recent studies of greenhouse gases (e.g.…”

Section: Radiative Forcingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Global change: state of the science

Wuebbles

Jain

Edmonds

et al. 1999

Environmental Pollution

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Only recently, within a few decades, have we realized that humanity signi®cantly in¯uences the global environment. In the early 1980s, atmospheric measurements con®rmed basic concepts developed a decade earlier. These basic concepts showed that human activities were a ecting the ozone layer . Later measurements and theoretical analyses have clearly connected observed changes in ozone to human-related increases of chlorine and bromine in the stratosphere. As a result of prompt international policy agreements, the combined abundances of ozone-depleting compounds peaked in 1994 and ozone is already beginning a slow path to recovery. A much more di cult problem confronting humanity is the impact of increasing levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases on global climate. The processes that connect greenhouse gas emissions to climate are very complex. This complexity has limited our ability to make a de®nitive projection of future climate change. Nevertheless, the range of projected climate change shows that global warming has the potential to severely impact human welfare and our planet as a whole. This paper evaluates the state of the scienti®c understanding of the global change issues, their potential impacts, and the relationships of scienti®c understanding to policy considerations. #

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Section: Projecting Future Changes In Forcingsupporting

confidence: 87%

Section: Radiative Forcingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global change: state of the science

Wuebbles

Jain

Edmonds

et al. 1999

Environmental Pollution

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“…For a doubling of methane concentration from 1.6 to 3.2 ppmv, effects on surface temperature range from 0.2 K to 0.3 K (Wang et al, 1976;Donner and Ramanathan, 1980;Lacis et al, 1981;Owens et al, 1985;Ramanathan et al, 1987;MacKay and Khalil, 1991), with the differences in model results primarily relating to uncertainties in the band strengths for methane infrared absorption. For a doubling from 1.7 to 3.4 ppmv, Owens et al (1985) calculate a direct 0.34 K increase in surface temperature, along with an additional 0.26 K due to indirect effects from methane-induced effects on carbon dioxide and ozone.…”

Section: Direct Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Other modeling studies have included increasing methane concentrations in studies evaluating scenarios for potential future changes in radiative forcing and global temperatures (Wang and Molnar, 1985;Ramanathan et al, 1985Ramanathan et al, , 1987WMO, 1985;Dickinson and Cicerone, 1986;Wang et al, 1986;Wigley, 1987;Hansen et al, 1988Hansen et al, , 1989IPCC, 1990. ) Table 2 the change in radiative forcing (Wm -2 ) due to increasing methane compared to total change due to all greenhouse gases as derived by IPCC (1996) for their high (IS92e), medium (IS92a), and low (IS92c) scenarios.…”

Section: Direct Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Donner and Ramanathan (1980) calculated that the presence of methane at current levels causes the globally averaged surface temperature to be about 1.3 K higher than it would be without methane. On a molar basis, an additional mole of methane in the current atmosphere is about 21 times more effective at affecting climate than an additional mole of carbon dioxide (Ramanathan et al, 1985(Ramanathan et al, , 1987IPCC, 1990). Correspondingly, on a mass basis, an additional kilogram of methane is about 58 times more effective as a greenhouse gas than a kilogram of carbon dioxide.…”

Section: Direct Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Atmospheric Methane: Trends and Impacts

Wuebbles

Hayhoe

2000

Non-Co2 Greenhouse Gases: Scientific Understanding, Control and Implementation

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Abstract:The concentration of methane (CH 4 ), the most abundant organic trace gas in the atmosphere, has increased dramatically over the last few centuries, more than doubling its concentration. The increasing concentrations of methane are of special concern because of its effects on climate and atmospheric chemistry. On a per molecule basis, additional methane is much more effective as a greenhouse gas than additional CO 2 . Methane is also important to both tropospheric and stratospheric chemistry. Here, we examine past trends in the concentration of methane, the sources and sinks affecting its growth rate, and the factors that could affect its growth rate in the future. This study also examines the current understanding of the effects of methane on atmospheric chemistry and climate.

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Air Pollution

Wolff¹

2000

Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology

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Air pollution is the presence of any substance in the atmosphere at a concentration high enough to produce an objectionable effect on humans, animals, vegetation, or materials, or to significantly alter the natural balance of any ecosystem. Substances can be solids, liquids, or gases, and can be produced by anthropogenic activities or natural sources. In this article only nonbiological material is considered and the discussion of airborne radioactive contaminants is limited to radon. The original six criteria pollutants, for which the Environmental Protection Agency is required to summarize published information on each, were sulfur dioxide, SO 2 ; carbon monoxide, CO; nitrogen dioxide, NO 2 ; ozone, O 3 ; suspended particulates; and nonmethane hydrocarbons, NMHC. The NMHC are now referred to as volatile organic compounds (VOC). The NMHC were dropped from the list shortly after the criteria pollutants were so designated. In the late 1970s, lead, Pb, was added to the list and in 1987, so was particulate matter having an aerodynamic diameter of less than or equal to 10 µm, PM 10 . There have been several developments since the establishment of the criteria pollutants. In the mid‐1970s it was shown that high concentrations of O 3 and sulfate haze could be transported hundreds of miles, and acid deposition studies in the 1980s clearly illustrated the international and global aspects of this transport. Then stratospheric O 3 depletion and global warming became issues and air pollution was finally viewed in a global context. Air pollution can be considered to have three components: sources, transport and transformations in the atmosphere, and receptors. The source emits airborne substances. The receptor is the person, animal, plant, material, or ecosystem affected by the emissions. In the United States, the framework for air quality management is the Clean Air Act (CAA), which defines two categories of pollutants; criteria and hazardous. For the criteria pollutants, the CAA requires that EPA establish National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and emissions standards for stationary sources and for motor vehicles. For the hazardous air pollutants, only emissions standards for some sources are required, but the number is growing rapidly. Current air pollution concerns include photochemical smog, volatile organic compounds (VOC), nitrogen oxides (NO x ), sulfur oxides (SO x ), carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter, global warming (the greenhouse effect), and stratospheric O 3 depletion, among others.

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Climate‐chemical interactions and effects of changing atmospheric trace gases

Cited by 249 publications

References 143 publications

Global change: state of the science

Global change: state of the science

Atmospheric Methane: Trends and Impacts

Air Pollution

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