Posted on June 2, 2023 (Updated on July 10, 2025)
Unraveling the Complexity: Searching for a Simple Model of Greenhouse Gas Interaction with Infrared Radiation
Climate & Climate ZonesThe concept of greenhouse gases and their impact on the environment is of great interest to scientists and policy makers. Greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere, leading to global warming and climate change. The most prominent greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and water vapor (H2O). These gases absorb and re-emit infrared
Posted on June 2, 2023 (Updated on July 9, 2025)
Earth’s Rapid Response: Exploring the Connection between CO2 and Global Surface Temperatures
Climate & Climate ZonesThe question of how quickly global mean surface temperatures can respond to changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations is a crucial one in the study of climate change. CO2 is one of the most important greenhouse gases that can trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere and cause global warming. As humans continue to pump
Posted on June 1, 2023 (Updated on July 10, 2025)
Quantifying the Impact of Clouds on Earth’s Radiation Balance: Estimating Longwave Radiative Forcing from Shortwave Components
Climate & Climate ZonesThe Earth’s radiation budget is an important factor in the planet’s climate and weather patterns. The balance between incoming solar radiation and outgoing longwave radiation determines the energy available to the Earth’s atmosphere and surface. Clouds play a critical role in this balance by reflecting, absorbing, and emitting both shortwave and longwave radiation. Understanding the
Posted on June 1, 2023 (Updated on July 9, 2025)
Countering climate change skeptics that point to previous warming episodes
Climate & Climate ZonesClimate change is an undeniable fact supported by overwhelming scientific evidence. However, there are still skeptics who point to previous warming episodes in Earth’s history as evidence that the current warming trend is natural and not caused by human activity. In this article, we will explore how to counter this argument and explain why the
Posted on June 1, 2023 (Updated on July 10, 2025)
Unraveling the Mysteries of Mie Scattering in Earth Science: An Insight into Radiative Transfer
Climate & Climate ZonesMie scattering is a fundamental concept in geoscience that plays an important role in understanding the behavior of electromagnetic radiation in the atmosphere. It is named after the German physicist Gustav Mie, who discovered the phenomenon in 1908. Mie scattering occurs when electromagnetic radiation interacts with particles comparable in size to the wavelength of the
Posted on June 1, 2023 (Updated on July 9, 2025)
Locating IPCC Climate Zones: A Guide to Georeferenced Maps and GIS Resources
Climate & Climate ZonesThe Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the leading international body for assessing climate change. The IPCC has defined different climate zones based on temperature and precipitation patterns that are used to classify different regions of the world. These climate zones are important for understanding the impacts of climate change on different regions and