Increases in greenhouse forcing inferred from the outgoing longwave radiation spectra of the Earth in 1970 and 1997 (2024)

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Abstract Access options Additional access options: References Acknowledgements Author information Authors and Affiliations Corresponding author Rights and permissions About this article Cite this article This article is cited by Trends in spectrally resolved outgoing longwave radiation from 10 years of satellite measurements Spatial and temporal variability of free gas content in shallow sediments: Lake Kinneret as a case study Monitoring spatial pattern of land surface thermal characteristics and urban growth: A case study of King Williams using remote sensing and GIS Unmasking the negative greenhouse effect over the Antarctic Plateau Observationally derived rise in methane surface forcing mediated by water vapour trends Comments
  • Letter
  • Published: 15 March 2001
  • John E. Harries1,
  • Helen E. Brindley1,
  • Pretty J. Sagoo1 &
  • …
  • Richard J. Bantges1

Nature volume410,pages 355–357 (2001)Cite this article

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An Erratum to this article was published on 26 April 2001

Abstract

The evolution of the Earth's climate has been extensively studied1,2, and a strong link between increases in surface temperatures and greenhouse gases has been established3,4. But this relationship is complicated by several feedback processes—most importantly the hydrological cycle—that are not well understood5,6,7. Changes in the Earth's greenhouse effect can be detected from variations in the spectrum of outgoing longwave radiation8,9,10, which is a measure of how the Earth cools to space and carries the imprint of the gases that are responsible for the greenhouse effect11,12,13. Here we analyse the difference between the spectra of the outgoing longwave radiation of the Earth as measured by orbiting spacecraft in 1970 and 1997. We find differences in the spectra that point to long-term changes in atmospheric CH4, CO2 and O3 as well as CFC-11 and CFC-12. Our results provide direct experimental evidence for a significant increase in the Earth's greenhouse effect that is consistent with concerns over radiative forcing of climate.

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Increases in greenhouse forcing inferred from the outgoing longwave radiation spectra of the Earth in 1970 and 1997 (1)

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Acknowledgements

We thank L. Chen and R. Goody for providing access to IRIS data, and S. Taguchi and H. Kobayashi for providing access to IMG data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Space and Atmospheric Physics Group, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College, London, SW7 2BW, UK

    John E. Harries,Helen E. Brindley,Pretty J. Sagoo&Richard J. Bantges

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  1. John E. Harries

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Correspondence to John E. Harries.

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Harries, J., Brindley, H., Sagoo, P. et al. Increases in greenhouse forcing inferred from the outgoing longwave radiation spectra of the Earth in 1970 and 1997. Nature 410, 355–357 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/35066553

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Increases in greenhouse forcing inferred from the outgoing longwave radiation spectra of the Earth in 1970 and 1997 (2024)
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