quote:Originally posted by suricat:
mufcdiver.quote:
Where is the hot spot?
This expectation has always baffled me muf as CO2 interacts with IR. Outgoing Long-wave Radiation (OLR) begins to see it's extinction into outer space at about 3-5 kilometres altitude, dependant on the latitude of occupation (if I remember what Steve_M said correctly). Thus, OLR at 8 kilometres over the equator is expected to be within the start of the window of OLR radiation into space. If the 8 kilometres region is beginning to cool, then the regions above must be cooling at a greater rate. How a greater temperature can be observed in the expected tropospheric region of the hot spot is beyond my understanding. But an increase in the altitude of the tropopause isn't (latent transport and evaporative exchanger principle)! Perhaps increased convection winds can show this better, or total water plus SH? I doubt it, they are under too much influence from insolation.
However, an increase of CO2 propensity in the stratosphere would elevate temperature due to OLR refraction, giving greatest temperature increase at the low stratospheric altitudes and permitting greater temperatures within the region where the hot spot is expected. There is a problem with this!
CO2 is easily diffused into water condensate and is washed out of the tropospheric atmosphere by the precipitation phase of the atmospheric hydrological cycle. This offers a weak boundary that keeps atmospheric CO2 within the troposphere and reduces its population of the above stratosphere (diffusion pump principle).
At a guess, I'd say that this hot spot won't be observed until the CO2 diffusion pump pressure is breached (would this be a "tipping point"?).
Oh, those models!
Best regards, suricat.
As I understand it suricat the hotspot is an interaction between WV and IR which starts at the surface which is instigated by the two bands of CO2 situated in the tropics! The IPCC showed that it should be there, maybe we should ask them
