Whole Atmosphere Simulation of Anthropogenic Climate Change

Abstract We simulated anthropogenic global change through the entire atmosphere, including the thermosphere and ionosphere, using the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model‐eXtended. The basic result was that even as the lower atmosphere gradually warms, the upper atmosphere rapidly cools. The sim...

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Main Authors: Stanley C. Solomon, Han‐Li Liu, Daniel R. Marsh, Joseph M. McInerney, Liying Qian, Francis M. Vitt
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2018-02-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL076950
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author Stanley C. Solomon
Han‐Li Liu
Daniel R. Marsh
Joseph M. McInerney
Liying Qian
Francis M. Vitt
author_facet Stanley C. Solomon
Han‐Li Liu
Daniel R. Marsh
Joseph M. McInerney
Liying Qian
Francis M. Vitt
author_sort Stanley C. Solomon
collection DOAJ
description Abstract We simulated anthropogenic global change through the entire atmosphere, including the thermosphere and ionosphere, using the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model‐eXtended. The basic result was that even as the lower atmosphere gradually warms, the upper atmosphere rapidly cools. The simulations employed constant low solar activity conditions, to remove the effects of variable solar and geomagnetic activity. Global mean annual mean temperature increased at a rate of +0.2 K/decade at the surface and +0.4 K/decade in the upper troposphere but decreased by about −1 K/decade in the stratosphere‐mesosphere and −2.8 K/decade in the thermosphere. Near the mesopause, temperature decreases were small compared to the interannual variation, so trends in that region are uncertain. Results were similar to previous modeling confined to specific atmospheric levels and compared favorably with available measurements. These simulations demonstrate the ability of a single comprehensive numerical model to characterize global change throughout the atmosphere.
format Article
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institution DOAJ
issn 0094-8276
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publishDate 2018-02-01
publisher Wiley
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series Geophysical Research Letters
spelling doaj-art-fe20afb577b44bafae208f8178f11c902025-08-20T03:09:42ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072018-02-014531567157610.1002/2017GL076950Whole Atmosphere Simulation of Anthropogenic Climate ChangeStanley C. Solomon0Han‐Li Liu1Daniel R. Marsh2Joseph M. McInerney3Liying Qian4Francis M. Vitt5High Altitude Observatory National Center for Atmospheric Research Boulder CO USAHigh Altitude Observatory National Center for Atmospheric Research Boulder CO USAHigh Altitude Observatory National Center for Atmospheric Research Boulder CO USAHigh Altitude Observatory National Center for Atmospheric Research Boulder CO USAHigh Altitude Observatory National Center for Atmospheric Research Boulder CO USAHigh Altitude Observatory National Center for Atmospheric Research Boulder CO USAAbstract We simulated anthropogenic global change through the entire atmosphere, including the thermosphere and ionosphere, using the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model‐eXtended. The basic result was that even as the lower atmosphere gradually warms, the upper atmosphere rapidly cools. The simulations employed constant low solar activity conditions, to remove the effects of variable solar and geomagnetic activity. Global mean annual mean temperature increased at a rate of +0.2 K/decade at the surface and +0.4 K/decade in the upper troposphere but decreased by about −1 K/decade in the stratosphere‐mesosphere and −2.8 K/decade in the thermosphere. Near the mesopause, temperature decreases were small compared to the interannual variation, so trends in that region are uncertain. Results were similar to previous modeling confined to specific atmospheric levels and compared favorably with available measurements. These simulations demonstrate the ability of a single comprehensive numerical model to characterize global change throughout the atmosphere.https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL076950climate changeupper atmospherethermosphereionospheremesopausenumerical modeling
spellingShingle Stanley C. Solomon
Han‐Li Liu
Daniel R. Marsh
Joseph M. McInerney
Liying Qian
Francis M. Vitt
Whole Atmosphere Simulation of Anthropogenic Climate Change
Geophysical Research Letters
climate change
upper atmosphere
thermosphere
ionosphere
mesopause
numerical modeling
title Whole Atmosphere Simulation of Anthropogenic Climate Change
title_full Whole Atmosphere Simulation of Anthropogenic Climate Change
title_fullStr Whole Atmosphere Simulation of Anthropogenic Climate Change
title_full_unstemmed Whole Atmosphere Simulation of Anthropogenic Climate Change
title_short Whole Atmosphere Simulation of Anthropogenic Climate Change
title_sort whole atmosphere simulation of anthropogenic climate change
topic climate change
upper atmosphere
thermosphere
ionosphere
mesopause
numerical modeling
url https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL076950
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AT danielrmarsh wholeatmospheresimulationofanthropogenicclimatechange
AT josephmmcinerney wholeatmospheresimulationofanthropogenicclimatechange
AT liyingqian wholeatmospheresimulationofanthropogenicclimatechange
AT francismvitt wholeatmospheresimulationofanthropogenicclimatechange