Earth’s atmosphere reacts far more to greenhouse emissions than previously thought, leading experts predict the planet’s surface temperature will rise by an average of 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100. Writing in the journal Nature, a team of Australia based researchers says it has found how cloud formation plays a role in climate, which has been one of the greatest uncertainties in the prediction of global warming. The group says that while climate models show a relatively low global temperature reaction to carbon dioxide emissions, those models currently do not factor in all the water vapor released into the atmosphere. The report concludes that “real world observations” show that accepted models are wrong. They point to fewer clouds forming than the clouds project , which means more sunlight will enter the atmosphere, making the atmosphere far more sensitive to the warming effects of heat trapping greenhouse gases. “Climate skeptics like to criticize climate models for getting things wrong, and we are the first to admit that they are not perfect,” said lead author Steven Sherwood. “But what we are finding is that mistakes are being made by those models (that) predict less warming, not those that predict more.”
Earthweek | Steve Newman
The Plain Dealer January 4, 2014
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