A Plan for a Research Program on Aerosol Radiative Forcing and Climate Change

A Plan for a Research Program on Aerosol Radiative Forcing and Climate Change PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309175917
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 179

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Book Description
This book recommends the initiation of an "integrated" research program to study the role of aerosols in the predicted global climate change. Current understanding suggest that, even now, aerosols, primarily from anthropogenic sources, may be reducing the rate of warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to specific research recommendations, this book forcefully argues for two kinds of research program integration: integration of the individual laboratory, field, and theoretical research activities and an integrated management structure that involves all of the concerned federal agencies.

A Plan for a Research Program on Aerosol Radiative Forcing and Climate Change

A Plan for a Research Program on Aerosol Radiative Forcing and Climate Change PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309175917
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 179

Get Book Here

Book Description
This book recommends the initiation of an "integrated" research program to study the role of aerosols in the predicted global climate change. Current understanding suggest that, even now, aerosols, primarily from anthropogenic sources, may be reducing the rate of warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to specific research recommendations, this book forcefully argues for two kinds of research program integration: integration of the individual laboratory, field, and theoretical research activities and an integrated management structure that involves all of the concerned federal agencies.

A Plan for a Research Program on Aerosol Radiative Forcing and Climate Change

A Plan for a Research Program on Aerosol Radiative Forcing and Climate Change PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 030905429X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 180

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Book Description
This book recommends the initiation of an "integrated" research program to study the role of aerosols in the predicted global climate change. Current understanding suggest that, even now, aerosols, primarily from anthropogenic sources, may be reducing the rate of warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to specific research recommendations, this book forcefully argues for two kinds of research program integration: integration of the individual laboratory, field, and theoretical research activities and an integrated management structure that involves all of the concerned federal agencies.

Radiative Forcing of Climate Change

Radiative Forcing of Climate Change PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309133505
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 222

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Book Description
Changes in climate are driven by natural and human-induced perturbations of the Earth's energy balance. These climate drivers or "forcings" include variations in greenhouse gases, aerosols, land use, and the amount of energy Earth receives from the Sun. Although climate throughout Earth's history has varied from "snowball" conditions with global ice cover to "hothouse" conditions when glaciers all but disappeared, the climate over the past 10,000 years has been remarkably stable and favorable to human civilization. Increasing evidence points to a large human impact on global climate over the past century. The report reviews current knowledge of climate forcings and recommends critical research needed to improve understanding. Whereas emphasis to date has been on how these climate forcings affect global mean temperature, the report finds that regional variation and climate impacts other than temperature deserve increased attention.

Climate Intervention

Climate Intervention PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309314852
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 270

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Book Description
The growing problem of changing environmental conditions caused by climate destabilization is well recognized as one of the defining issues of our time. The root problem is greenhouse gas emissions, and the fundamental solution is curbing those emissions. Climate geoengineering has often been considered to be a "last-ditch" response to climate change, to be used only if climate change damage should produce extreme hardship. Although the likelihood of eventually needing to resort to these efforts grows with every year of inaction on emissions control, there is a lack of information on these ways of potentially intervening in the climate system. As one of a two-book report, this volume of Climate Intervention discusses albedo modification - changing the fraction of incoming solar radiation that reaches the surface. This approach would deliberately modify the energy budget of Earth to produce a cooling designed to compensate for some of the effects of warming associated with greenhouse gas increases. The prospect of large-scale albedo modification raises political and governance issues at national and global levels, as well as ethical concerns. Climate Intervention: Reflecting Sunlight to Cool Earth discusses some of the social, political, and legal issues surrounding these proposed techniques. It is far easier to modify Earth's albedo than to determine whether it should be done or what the consequences might be of such an action. One serious concern is that such an action could be unilaterally undertaken by a small nation or smaller entity for its own benefit without international sanction and regardless of international consequences. Transparency in discussing this subject is critical. In the spirit of that transparency, Climate Intervention: Reflecting Sunlight to Cool Earth was based on peer-reviewed literature and the judgments of the authoring committee; no new research was done as part of this study and all data and information used are from entirely open sources. By helping to bring light to this topic area, this book will help leaders to be far more knowledgeable about the consequences of albedo modification approaches before they face a decision whether or not to use them.

The Atmospheric Sciences

The Atmospheric Sciences PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309064155
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 383

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Book Description
Technology has propelled the atmospheric sciences from a fledgling discipline to a global enterprise. Findings in this field shape a broad spectrum of decisionsâ€"what to wear outdoors, whether aircraft should fly, how to deal with the issue of climate change, and more. This book presents a comprehensive assessment of the atmospheric sciences and offers a vision for the future and a range of recommendations for federal authorities, the scientific community, and education administrators. How does atmospheric science contribute to national well-being? In the context of this question, the panel identifies imperatives in scientific observation, recommends directions for modeling and forecasting research, and examines management issues, including the growing problem of weather data availability. Five subdisciplinesâ€"physics, chemistry, dynamics and weather forecasting, upper atmosphere and near-earth space physics, climate and climate changeâ€"and their status as the science enters the twenty-first century are examined in detail, including recommendations for research. This readable book will be of interest to public-sector policy framers and private-sector decisionmakers as well as researchers, educators, and students in the atmospheric sciences.

The Science of Regional and Global Change

The Science of Regional and Global Change PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309183499
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 29

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Book Description
This report is intended to promote a dialogue between the scientific community and the government officials who will lead our nation in the coming years on global change research. The first section of the report is a brief description of the challenges and proposed responses needed from the highest levels of the government and the second provides more detailed discussion and is directed to agency-level issues and responses. The last section is a detailed bibliography that lists many of the specific reports on which the views outlined here are ultimately based.

Interim Review of the Subsonic Assessment Project

Interim Review of the Subsonic Assessment Project PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 9780309058452
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 48

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Book Description


Global Environmental Change

Global Environmental Change PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309064201
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 622

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Book Description
How can we understand and rise to the environmental challenges of global change? One clear answer is to understand the science of global change, not solely in terms of the processes that control changes in climate and the composition of the atmosphere, but in how ecosystems and human society interact with these changes. In the last two decades of the twentieth century, a number of such research effortsâ€"supported by computer and satellite technologyâ€"have been launched. Yet many opportunities for integration remain unexploited, and many fundamental questions remain about the earth's capacity to support a growing human population. This volume encourages a renewed commitment to understanding global change and sets a direction for research in the decade ahead. Through case studies the book explores what can be learned from the lessons of the past 20 years and what are the outstanding scientific questions. Highlights include: Research imperatives and strategies for investigators in the areas of atmospheric chemistry, climate, ecosystem studies, and human dimensions of global change. The context of climate change, including lessons to be gleaned from paleoclimatology. Human responses toâ€"and forcing ofâ€"projected global change. This book offers a comprehensive overview of global change research to date and provides a framework for answering urgent questions.

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics PDF Author: John H. Seinfeld
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 111922117X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 2077

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Book Description
Expanded and updated with new findings and new features New chapter on Global Climate providing a self-contained treatment of climate forcing, feedbacks, and climate sensitivity New chapter on Atmospheric Organic Aerosols and new treatment of the statistical method of Positive Matrix Factorization Updated treatments of physical meteorology, atmospheric nucleation, aerosol-cloud relationships, chemistry of biogenic hydrocarbons Each topic developed from the fundamental science to the point of application to real-world problems New problems at an introductory level to aid in classroom teaching

Colloquium on Geology, Mineralogy, and Human Welfare

Colloquium on Geology, Mineralogy, and Human Welfare PDF Author: Joseph V. Smith
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309064260
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 470

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Book Description