Astronomy - Ch. 9.1: Earth's Atmosphere (15 of 61) The Molecular Absorption Spectrum Graphed

In this video I will explain the effectiveness of the molecules in Earth's atmosphere to absorb our Sun's energy to keep Earth comfortably warm is dependent on a number of factors. If the absorption spectrum is only dependent on the vibrational mode, Earth would still be frigidly cold. And, if the absorption spectrum is only dependent on (absorb the quantum steps only) the vibrational AND rotational modes, Earth would be cool, but not warm enough. So I will explain what else is need in the Earth's atmosphere to keep Earth comfortably warm.

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[petercamusojr]

I see that you are laying a foundation so that the physics to come can be understood. I would encourage other viewers to hang in there. This is the best most scientific analysis of this subject mater i have seen.

[Juanma-uwxr]

Thanks for your fast reponse. As a geologist I can´t agree more with you, as we are very sure of those facts based basically on ice core data- But the point I was trying to make is that if we assume that the amount of CO2 (which have increased 120 ppm since the Industrial Revolution until nowadays) produces a temperature increment of just 1.2ºC (and a sea rise of 0.25m), and we compare these figures with the 12ºC and 120m of sea level variations recorded during each of the last 4 major glacial cycles (with a simultaneous 120ppm increase of CO2), someone (who does not trust ice core data) could eventually think that the different length of time of both events (¿thousands? of years versus 150 years) could be a possible explanation for both different temperature rises (12ºC Vs 1.2ºC). I feel that perhaps this could be somehow reasonable, but only in case that it could be "proven" that just 120 ppm of CO2 alone could rise the temperature to such high levels (12ºC), which I feel quite improbable given the logarithmic relationship of CO2 with RF. ¿Do you think that this could be eventually proven?.

If this explanation can be ruled out by mathematical and physical procedures (not just by geological data and considerations) we could then confirm (just to those sceptics of ice core data) that the pleistocene´s temperature variations always led the CO2 variations and that only natural processes were responsible of that warming so, consequently, we should exclude CO2 as the main responsible . Continuing this reasoning we can then state that:

-Every climate model that is based on the assumption that natural processes (apart from a very, very tiny effect from solar input) have no influence on this current slight warming is simply wrong because it is geologically impossible that every single natural process that has been continuously active for more that 4, 500 million years (including pleistocene and holocene) all of a sudden completely stopped, being, at the very same moment, the Industrial Revolution, replaced by the doubtfull effects of a very scarce gas which has also a very weak heating potential.-

The same question could be reformulated in short as ¿what could possibly be the approximate maximum temperature that, given the logarithmic characteristics of CO2, could be reached
by continuously increasing concentrations of CO2?

Hope this time I made myself understandable. Thanks again.

[Juanma-uwxr]

Professor, we know that during pleistocene, the different ice ages cycles recorded in ice cores, showed variations in temperatures of aprox. 12ºC whilst the CO2 varied aproximately 110-120ppm (from 180 to 290ppm). We also know that the temperature rose before the CO2 started to increase. ¿Is there any possibility that these figures could be explained by greenhouse theory alone?¿What could be a reasonable limit of tmaximum temperature while CO2 concentration increases?
Many thanks for your very didactic videos.

[giovannirojas]

What happened to your log/exponent Calculus video series?

[NavySubGuy]

Does photon absorption by gas molecules follow Beer's Law?

[texaslistenqcowboyup]

How Awesome is God he created all of this for us. He is not bound by this DIMENSION so he can step in and out.