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Global Climate Change Digest
A Guide to Information on Greenhouse Gases and Ozone Depletion
Published July 1988 through June 1999

FROM VOLUME 5, NUMBER 8, AUGUST 1992

PROFESSIONAL PUBLICATIONS...
GENERAL INTEREST--SCIENCE

Item #d92aug11

"Productivity and Compensatory Responses of Yellow Poplar Trees in Elevated CO₂," R.J. Norby (Environ. Sci., ORNL, POB 2008, Oak Ridge TN 37831), C.A. Gunderson et al., Nature, 357(6376), 322-324, May 28, 1992.

Previous experiments showing short-term stimulation of tree growth at elevated CO₂ levels suggest that increased forest growth could provide an additional sink for excess carbon added to the atmosphere by fossil fuels. Yellow poplar seedlings, grown at elevated and ambient levels of CO₂ for three growing seasons, showed a sustained increase in leaf-level photosynthesis at elevated CO₂. However, whole-plant carbon storage did not increase because of changes in carbon allocation patterns.

Item #d92aug12

"The Schumann Resonance: A Global Tropical Thermometer," E.R. Williams (Dept. Atmos. Sci., MIT, Cambridge MA 02139), Science, 256(5060), 1184-1187, May 22, 1992.

Investigates the use of the Schumann resonance, a global electromagnetic phenomenon driven by world-wide lightning activity, as a sensitive indicator of subtle global temperature changes that might be associated with global warming. The link between Schumann resonance and temperature is lightning flash rate.

Item #d92aug13

"Effect of Deep Convection on the Regulation of Tropical Sea Surface Temperature," J.M. Wallace (Dept. Atmos. Sci., Univ. Washington, AK-40, Seattle WA 98195), Nature, 357(6375), 230-231, May 21, 1992.

Suggests a dynamical mechanism as an alternative to the "thermostat" mechanism proposed by Ramanathan and Collins (1991) to explain why SSTs appear to be limited to below about 303 K. The process would not prevent SSTs from exceeding 305 K in the face of extensive greenhouse warming. (See related comment by Ramanathan and Collins, ibid., p. 649, June 25.)

Item #d92aug14

"The Modellion Concept," J.S. Shuttleworth (Inst. Hydrol., Wallingford, Oxfordshire, UK), Rev. Geophys., 29(4), 585-606, Nov. 1991.

Reviews observational studies over the past decade that contribute to a better definition of Modellion, a conceptual model planet suitable for carrying out numerical experiments relating to planet Earth. Also previews elements of the observational programs proposed under the Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment and IGBP in the 1990s.

Item #d92aug15

U.S. National Report to the 20th General Assembly, IUGG, M.A. Shea, Ed.-in-Chief, 1186 pp. Issued as a two-part supplement to Rev. Geophys., 29, 1991. Summarizes achievements of U.S. scientists during the last four years in atmospheric sciences, geodesy, hydrology, oceanography and other areas. (Portions or entire report may be purchased from the American Geophysical Union; see GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE DIGEST, Books/Earth System Science, Apr. 1992.)