Skip to main content
Log in

Solar, volcanic, and CO2 forcing of recent climatic changes

  • Published:
Climatic Change Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The climate, as represented by the mean Northern Hemisphere temperature, has shown substantial changes within the past century. The temperature record is utilized as a means of elucidating the relative importance of anthropogenic CO2 increase, volcanic aerosols, and possible solar insolation variations in externally forcing climate changes. Solar luminosity variations, suggested by observed solar radius variations on an ≈ 80 yr time scale, allow a self-consistent explanation of the hemispheric temperature trends. Evidence for solar influences on the climate is also found on the shorter 11 and 22 yr time scales present in solar activity cycles.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

The author is a staff scientist at the High Altitude Observatory, P.O. Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307, of the National Center for Atmospheric Research.

This work was completed while the author was a postdoctoral fellow in the Advanced Study Program of NCAR.

Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this paper are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

The National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gilliland, R.L. Solar, volcanic, and CO2 forcing of recent climatic changes. Climatic Change 4, 111–131 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02423387

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02423387

Keywords

Navigation