Abstract
A property of Earth's atmosphere called the‘surface air temperature response function’ is defined to be the change in surface air temperature that results from a change in radiant energy absorbed at the planet's surface. It is experimentally evaluated by three independent techniques to yield a value over land of 0.172 K (Wm−2)−1 while one of these techniques yields a value about half that great for stations on the extreme west coast of the United States. Computing an appropriate global upper limit from these two results yields a value of 0.113 K (Wm−2)−1, which compares well with a fourth technique that yields a mean global value of 0.097 K (Wm−2)−1. The results imply an unexpected time-scale invariant response function.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aase, J. K. and Idso, S. B.: 1978,‘A Comparison of Two Formula Types for Calculating Long-wave Radiation from the Atmosphere’, Water Resources Res. 14, 623–625.
Bennett, I.: 1975,‘Variation of Daily Solar Radiation in North America during the Extreme Months’, Arch. Meteorol. Geophys. Bioklim., Ser. B, 23, 31–57.
Crane, A. J.: 1981,‘Comments on Recent Doubts about the CO2 Greenhouse Effect’, J. Appl. Meteorol. (in press).
Ellis, J. S., Vonder Haar, T. H., Levitus, S., and Oort, A. H.: 1978,‘The Annual Variation in the Global Heat Balance of the Earth’, J. Geophys. Res. 83: C4, 1958–1962.
Hales, J. E., Jr.: 1974,‘Southwestern United States Summer Monsoon Source — Gulf of Mexico or Pacific Ocean?’, J. Appl. Meteorol. 13, 331–342.
Idso, S. B.: 1980a,‘On the Apparent Incompatibility of Different Atmospheric Thermal Radiation Data Sets’, Quart. J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc. 106, 375–376.
Idso, S. B.: 1980b,‘The Climatological Significance of a Doubling of Earth's Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Concentration’, Science 207, 1462–1463.
Idso, S. B.: 1980c,‘Human Actions and Nature's Reactions’, Amer. Quaternary Assoc. Abstr. 6, 105–106.
Idso, S. B.: 1981a,‘A Set of Equations for Full Spectrum and 8–14 µm and 10.5–12.5 µm Thermal Radiation from Cloudless Skies’, Water Resources Res. 18, 295–304.
Idso, S. B.: 1981b,‘On the Systematic Nature of Diurnal Patterns of Differences between Calculations and Measurements of Clear Sky Atmospheric Thermal Radiation’, Quart. J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc. 107, 737–741.
Idso, S. B.: 1981c,‘An Experimental Determination of the Radiative Properties and Climatic Consequences of Atmospheric Dust under Non-duststorm Conditions’, Atmos. Environ. 15, 1251–1259.
Idso, S. B. and Brazel, A. J.: 1978,‘Climatological Effects of Atmospheric Particulate Pollution’, Nature 274, 781–782.
Idso, S. B. and Kangieser, P. C.: 1970,‘Seasonal Changes in the Vertical Distribution of Dust in the Lower Troposphere’, J. Geophys. Res. 75, 2179–2184.
Ramanathan, V.: 1981,‘The Role of Ocean-Atmosphere Interactions in the CO2-Climate Problem’, J. Atmos. Sci. 38, 918–930.
Ramanathan, V., Lian, M. S., and Cess, R. D.: 1979,‘Increased Atmospheric CO2: Zonal and Seasonal Estimates of the Effect on the Radiation Energy Balance and Surface Temperature’, J. Geophys. Res. 84, 4944–4958.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Contribution from Agricultural Research Service, Science and Education, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Idso, S.B. A surface air temperature response function for earth's atmosphere. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 22, 227–232 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00118255
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00118255