Radiative Forcing Suppose that, at time t , the state of the climatic system is that characterized by Figure 12.1. Suppose, too, that the greenhouse gas content of the atmosphere at that time is equivalent to a CO 2 content of 300 ppmv. This scenario is adopted here, not because CO 2 doubling has some special significance but because it is an atmospheric modification that may occur within the next century and particularly because the CO 2 doubling scenario has become the baseline case most commonly used by atmospheric scientists to compare the performance of one model with that of another. Immediately after this augmentation of greenhouse gas content, no changes in interface temperature, atmospheric temperature distribution, atmospheric moisture content, or any other component can yet have occurred. Horizontal arrows denote heat fluxes taken up by the atmosphere.
Numbers are in watts per square meter.
The Science Base, pp. Model Performance, pp. The Climate Record, pp. 19 Introduction, pp. 659-660 Appendixes, pp.