Yes Steve, I agree with you on the theory and practice. The stratosphere
should cool as a result of increased greenhouse gases. I guess this is want
concerns me with the science that Christy is protraying. There is an
ethical problem with an institution as such that publishes data stating
that the stratosphere is cooling and then states that this is evidence that
increased greenhouse gase concentrations are not causing higher surface
temperatures at the earth. There are two reasons why the satellites measure
lower temperatures in the stratosphere and they both support the science of
climate change  resulting from anthropogenic gas emissions. 

Greenhouse gases work through infrared apsorbancy, that is, they abosrb
infrared radiation. Infrared radiation when it strikes atoms, for instance
in your skin, causes you to feel sensible heat. That is what happens when
short wave radiation from the sun strikes the surface of vegetation, rocks
and water. Some of that UV or short wave radiation is re-emitted back to
the atmosphere in the form of long wave radiation, and some UV or short
wave radiation is reflected as well unaltered. This is why you get a
sunburn from being at the beach or on the snow more easily than sitting on
the grass. 

CO2 has a the ability to trap long wave radiation or sensible heat  at a
rate of about 90 times greater than other atmospheric gas like nitrogen.
Other anthropogenic gases such as Nitrous oxide have greater greenhouse
warming potential than CO2., by about 9-10 times. In fact N2O has 290 times
or more infrared abosrption capacity than the atmosphere alone. 

That is why the stratosphere 20-30 kilmometers should be cooler, not hotter
with increased greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere.

john

----------
> From: Steve <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Earth Temperature Trends
> Date: Wednesday, January 13, 1999 10:38 PM
> 
> Both in terms of theory and practice the stratosphere should cool as a
> result of higher greenhouse gas concentrations. The satelittes are
> correct
> here but the trend of lower temperatures should be lower than
> indicated by
> Scotty and folks. 
> 
> Perhaps 2000-2100 will be the "madhouse century" that the Hadley
> Institute
> is predicting based on the largest computer in the world. It has
> recently
> predicted a global temperature rise of 6 degrees celsius. 
> 
> 
> John, did your write the above?  It is my understanding that the IPCC
> and the computer models predict cooling in the stratosphere.  Also,
> the satellites seem to be pretty damned accurate when you compare them
> to weather balloon data...or is that data bad too?
> 
> Steve
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