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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 6, JUNE 1992

PROFESSIONAL PUBLICATIONS...
GENERAL INTEREST--SCIENCE

Item #d92jun11

"Measured Trends in Stratospheric Ozone," R. Stolarski (NASA-Goddard, Greenbelt MD 20771), R. Bojkov et al., Science, 256(5055), 342-349, Apr. 17, 1992.

Presents recent findings based on a chapter of the WMO report Scientific Assessment of Ozone Depletion: 1992. Analysis of both satellite and ground-based data, including records from the former Soviet Union through March 1991, show a fairly consistent picture indicating an apparent downward trend in the total column of ozone over the middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere in all seasons.

Item #d92jun12

Three items from Nature, 356(6370), Apr. 16, 1992:

"Conveying That Sinking Feeling," A. Watson (Plymouth Marine Lab., Prospect Pl., Plymouth PL1 3DH, UK), 561-562. Discusses recent advances in understanding of the role of the ocean in the carbon budget (particularly the "great ocean conveyor" of surface water which sinks near Labrador), and results of the following two papers.

"Interhemispheric Transport of Carbon Dioxide by Ocean Circulation," W.S. Broecker (Lamont-Doherty Geolog. Observ., Palisades NY 10964), T.-H. Peng, 587-589. Estimates interhemispheric flux by separating oceanic carbon anomalies created by biogenic processes from those created by CO₂ exchange with the atmosphere. Results raise questions about the existence of a large terrestrial carbon sink as postulated by Tans et al.

"Revised Budget for the Oceanic Uptake of Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide," J.L. Sarmiento (Atmos. & Oceanic Sci. Prog., Princeton Univ., Princeton NJ 08544), E.T. Sundquist, 589-593. Adjustments to a previous estimate of the synoptic air-to-sea CO₂ influx (including the flux of carbon to the ocean by rivers and rain) reduce its apparent inconsistency with an estimate based on tracer-calibrated models.

Item #d92jun13

"Intercomparison and Interpretation of Surface Energy Fluxes in Atmospheric General Circulation Models," D.A. Randall (Dept. Atmos. Sci., Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins CO 80523), R.D. Cess et al., J. Geophys. Res., 97(D4), 3711-3724, Mar. 20, 1992.

Differences in the responses of net surface energy fluxes in 19 GCMs to an imposed sea surface temperature perturbation of 4 K were determined primarily by the response of latent heat flux, not by cloud effects. Concludes that major differences in the climate sensitivities of existing GCMs are related to different parameterizations of moist processes, and cannot be narrowed simply by increasing model resolution.

Item #d92jun14

Two items from Tellus, 43AB(4), Aug.-Sep. 1991 (from a special issue; titles only were listed in GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE DIGEST, Prof. Pubs./Tellus Special Issue, Apr. 1992):

"The Changing Photochemistry of the Troposphere," P.J. Crutzen (M. Planck Inst. Chem., POB 3060, D-6500 Mainz, Ger.), P.H. Zimmermann, 136-151. Due to a variety of human activities, particularly increasing emissions of CH₄, CO and NOx, it is possible that the concentration of hydroxyl (OH) radicals is decreasing in clean tropospheric environments. A consequence would be a buildup of several long-lived trace gases that are primarily removed by reaction with OH.

"Perturbation of the Northern Hemisphere Radiative Balance by Backscattering from Anthropogenic Sulfate Aerosols," R.J. Charlson (Dept. Atmos. Sci., AK-40, Univ. Washington, Seattle WA 98195), J. Langner et al., 152-163. Uses a 3-D global model to estimate that solar flux reflected by sulfate particles in cloud-free air is comparable but opposite in sign to the estimated radiative forcing by anthropogenic CO₂, averaged over the Northern Hemisphere.

Item #d92jun15

"Present and Future CFC and Other Trace Gas Warming: Results from a Seasonal Climate Model," D.A. Hauglustaine (Service d'Aeronomie du CNRS, Univ. de Paris VI, 4 Pl. Jussieu, B. 102, F-75230 Paris Cedex 05, France), J.-C. Gérard, Ann. Geophysicae, 9, 571-587, 1991.

Used a one-and-a-half dimensional energy balance model to compare equilibrium and transient responses of the atmosphere to greenhouse trace gases, over the period 1850-2050. Total surface temperature increases by 2050 were respectively 3.70° C and 1.57° C for the equilibrium and transient cases. The planned global reduction of CFC emissions may decrease warming by more than 6% in 2050.

Item #d92jun16

"Global Warming: Natural or Anthropogenic," L.P Bédard (Dept. de Géologie, Univ. de Montréal, C.P. 6128, Montréal, Qué. H3C 3J7, Can.), B. Lapointe, Geoscience Canada, 18(3), p. 99, Sep. 1991. Introduces the following papers, presented at a symposium held at the Université du Québec á Chicoutimi. Participants concluded it is not yet possible to determine if climatic warming is occurring, or whether there are human influences at this time.

"The Geologic Record of Glaciation: Relevance to the Climatic History of Earth," G.M. Young (Dept. Geol., Univ. Western Ontario, London, Ont. N6A 5B7), 100-108. In the short term, the "Little Ice Age" climatic cycle suggests warming for the next 1,000 years. Anthropogenic contribution to the greenhouse effect should enhance the short-term warming trend.

"Vers des Modèles Couplés Océan-Atmosphère," D. Gilbert (Inst. M. Lamntagne, CP 1000, Mont-Joli, Qué. G5H 3Z4), 109-110. In French. Discusses the nature of ocean-atmosphere interaction, and some of the weaknesses of climate models.

"A Geological Perspective on Climatic Change: Computer Simulation of Ancient Climates," P.J. Fawcett (Dept. Geosci., Pennsylvania State Univ., Univ. Pk. PA 16802), E.J. Barron, 111-117. Gives two examples of sensitivity experiments in which one geologic factor (such as CO₂) is varied and results are compared with the geologic record.

Item #d92jun17

"Climate Variability and the Atlantic Ocean," A.L. Gordon (Lamont-Doherty Geolog. Observ., Palisades NY 10964), S.E. Zebiak, K. Bryan, Eos, Apr. 14, 1992.

Explains in detail the NOAA Atlantic Climate Change Program, a joint project of atmospheric and oceanic scientists involving analysis of historic data, its interpretation using models, and long-term monitoring.

Item #d92jun18

New journal: The Ocean-Atmosphere System, K. Katsaros, Ed.-in-Chief. Free sample available from Gordon and Breach, Marketing Dept., POB 786 Cooper Sta., New York NY 10276, or POB 90, Reading, Berkshire RG1 8JL, UK. Represents an expanded scope for Ocean-Air Interactions; will cover theoretical, observational and modeling studies of the interlinked processes which govern our present and future climate.