Settled science: New paper questions usefulness of core IPCC radiative forcing concept — Published in the Journal of Climate
Study 'finds the core IPCC concept of net radiative forcing at the tropopause is 'not a useful concept on short timescales because it fails to distinguish between energy absorbed within the [atmosphere itself] & energy absorbed at [Earth] surface.' 'This work begs the question: on what timescales and regimes is the radiative forcing at the tropopause a useful concept and when is the response of the system contingent on the vertical structure of the atmospheric forcing?'
Study ‘finds the core IPCC concept of net radiative forcing at the tropopause is ‘not a useful concept on short timescales because it fails to distinguish between energy absorbed within the [atmosphere itself] and energy absorbed at the [Earth] surface.’ According to the authors, ‘This work begs the question: on what timescales and regimes is the radiative forcing at the tropopause a useful concept and when is the response of the system contingent on the vertical structure of the atmospheric forcing?’