Worksheet #22, ATOC 3600,  November 9, 2000
NAME: ____________________


1a. Suppose the radiative imbalance caused by increased atmospheric CO2 results in a 4 W m-2 warming. If all this energy goes into heating the atmosphere with no other changes, how quickly will the atmosphere warm. Note the radius of the Earth is 6.36 x 106 m and the area is 1.27 x 1014 m2.
 
 
 
 
 

1b. Now imagine that once the atmosphere has warmed 5 degrees, half of the radiative flux imbalance goes into heating the surface ocean, and a quarter of the imbalance goes into heating the land surface. How quickly does the surface ocean warm? How quickly does the land surface warm?
 
 
 
 
 

1c. Eventually, the atmosphere and surface ocean warm to a point at which the entire radiative imbalance goes into heating the deep ocean. How quickly will the deep ocean warm? 
 
 
 
 
 
 

1d. Propose a change in low and high clouds that would  mitigate the radiative imbalance caused by the anthropogenic greenhouse warming discussed above. In order to cool  the globe most efficiently, should an increase in clouds occur in the tropics, in the midlatitudes, or at the poles? Is an increase in high clouds or low clouds most effective at mitigating global warming?