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Reconciling observations of global temperature change
Author(s) -
Lindzen Richard S.,
Giannitsis Constantine
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2001gl014074
Subject(s) - climatology , environmental science , climate sensitivity , sea surface temperature , global temperature , atmosphere (unit) , climate change , mean radiant temperature , sensitivity (control systems) , atmospheric temperature , jump , atmospheric sciences , satellite , series (stratigraphy) , climate model , global warming , meteorology , geology , oceanography , physics , astronomy , engineering , paleontology , electronic engineering , quantum mechanics
It is suggested that the much publicized discrepancy between observed surface global mean temperature and global mean atmospheric temperature from 1979 to the present may be due to the fact that the atmosphere underwent a jump in temperature in 1976 (before the satellite temperature series began), and that the surface response was delayed for about a decade due to the ocean heat capacity. The ocean delay depends on both climate sensitivity and vertical heat transport within the ocean. It is shown that the observed delay is best simulated when sensitivity to doubling of CO 2 is less than about 1C.