Physics – Space Physics
Scientific paper
Jul 2003
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2003jgra..108.1292a&link_type=abstract
Journal of Geophysical Research Space Physics, Volume 108, Issue A7, pp. SIA 5-1, CiteID 1292, DOI 10.1029/2003JA009896
Physics
Space Physics
8
Global Change: Atmosphere (0315, 0325), Atmospheric Composition And Structure: Thermosphere-Energy Deposition, Atmospheric Composition And Structure: Evolution Of The Atmosphere, Atmospheric Composition And Structure: Pressure, Density, And Temperature
Scientific paper
Infrared radiation in the 15-μm band of carbon dioxide is the major cooling mechanism of the middle and upper atmosphere. Increasing amounts of atmospheric CO2 impose anthropogenic influence (``greenhouse cooling'') all the way through the mesosphere and thermosphere. Collisions with atomic oxygen are the primary excitation mechanism of CO2 molecules in the thermosphere. Negative radiative forcing due to the CO2 increase is roughly proportional to the rate of collisional excitation which in turn is proportional to the rate constant of collisional deactivation. The rate constant is still somewhat uncertain at present with various measurements and estimates varying within about a factor of 4. In light of recent laboratory measurements, two sets of numerical simulations have been performed to estimate the thermospheric response to doubling and a 15% increase of CO2 for two values of the rate constant that differ by a factor of 2. Surprisingly, the temperature and density changes due to the CO2 increases are practically independent of the rate constant. Simple diagnostics show that two physical mechanisms are primarily responsible: the strong temperature dependence of the radiative forcing itself in a combination with a temperature dependence of molecular heat conduction. Since the scenarios considered for the higher rate constant generally correspond to colder temperatures, the two physical mechanisms combined provide sufficiently strong negative feedbacks to entirely offset the initially stronger radiative forcing.
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