- 12 Dec 2018 05:46
#14971515
However since early this century it has become possible to estimate climate sensitivity from observations as well. The method is very simple: one only needs the total amount of forcing increase, ocean heat energy increase and temperature increase between two periods. Several papers/letters have done this in the last year (Aldrin et al, Ring et al, Lewis, Otto et al) and they all conclude that climate sensitivity is somewhere between 1.5°C and 2°C.
This is really good news! Our climate definitely seems to be less sensitive than we thought for a long time. The range for climate sensitivity based on these observations is also much more constrained, somewhere between 1.2°C and 2.6°C. Note that the lower bound of this range falls outside the likely range that the SPM now gives of 1.5°C to 4.5°C.
The main reason that climate sensitivity has come down so dramatically is not the slowdown. It’s the fact that estimates for aerosol cooling have come down considerably since AR4 and as a result the total increase in anthropogenic forcing has increased considerably in only a few years. This was mentioned in the SPM:
The total anthropogenic RF for 2011 relative to 1750 is 2.29 [1.13 to 3.33] W m−2 (see Figure SPM.5), and it has increased more rapidly since 1970 than during prior decades. The total anthropogenic RF best estimate for 2011 is 43% higher than that reported in AR4 for the year 2005. This is caused by a combination of continued growth in most greenhouse gas concentrations and improved estimates of RF by aerosols indicating a weaker net cooling effect (negative RF). {8.5}
Now with considerably more forcing and no temperature increase, climate sensitivity has to come down! There is no other possibility. It is the only logical consequence. Unless…much more heat went into the ocean. Now the recent observationally based estimates for climate sensitivity take this into account. The increase of heat in the ocean is just by far not enough to compensate for the huge increase in the forcing.
https://www.destaatvanhet-klimaat.nl/20 ... cy-makers/
This is really good news! Our climate definitely seems to be less sensitive than we thought for a long time. The range for climate sensitivity based on these observations is also much more constrained, somewhere between 1.2°C and 2.6°C. Note that the lower bound of this range falls outside the likely range that the SPM now gives of 1.5°C to 4.5°C.
The main reason that climate sensitivity has come down so dramatically is not the slowdown. It’s the fact that estimates for aerosol cooling have come down considerably since AR4 and as a result the total increase in anthropogenic forcing has increased considerably in only a few years. This was mentioned in the SPM:
The total anthropogenic RF for 2011 relative to 1750 is 2.29 [1.13 to 3.33] W m−2 (see Figure SPM.5), and it has increased more rapidly since 1970 than during prior decades. The total anthropogenic RF best estimate for 2011 is 43% higher than that reported in AR4 for the year 2005. This is caused by a combination of continued growth in most greenhouse gas concentrations and improved estimates of RF by aerosols indicating a weaker net cooling effect (negative RF). {8.5}
Now with considerably more forcing and no temperature increase, climate sensitivity has to come down! There is no other possibility. It is the only logical consequence. Unless…much more heat went into the ocean. Now the recent observationally based estimates for climate sensitivity take this into account. The increase of heat in the ocean is just by far not enough to compensate for the huge increase in the forcing.
https://www.destaatvanhet-klimaat.nl/20 ... cy-makers/
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