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Observations of greenhouse gases as climate indicators

Author

Listed:
  • Lori Bruhwiler

    (NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory)

  • Sourish Basu

    (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
    Universities Space Research Association)

  • James H. Butler

    (NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory)

  • Abhishek Chatterjee

    (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
    Universities Space Research Association)

  • Ed Dlugokencky

    (NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory)

  • Melissa A. Kenney

    (University of Minnesota Institute on the Environment)

  • Allison McComiskey

    (Brookhaven National Laboratory, Environmental & Climate Sciences Department)

  • Stephen A. Montzka

    (NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory)

  • Diane Stanitski

    (NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory)

Abstract

Humans have significantly altered the energy balance of the Earth’s climate system mainly not only by extracting and burning fossil fuels but also by altering the biosphere and using halocarbons. The 3rd US National Climate Assessment pointed to a need for a system of indicators of climate and global change based on long-term data that could be used to support assessments and this led to the development of the National Climate Indicators System (NCIS). Here we identify a representative set of key atmospheric indicators of changes in atmospheric radiative forcing due to greenhouse gases (GHGs), and we evaluate atmospheric composition measurements, including non-CO2 GHGs for use as climate change indicators in support of the US National Climate Assessment. GHG abundances and their changes over time can provide valuable information on the success of climate mitigation policies, as well as insights into possible carbon-climate feedback processes that may ultimately affect the success of those policies. To ensure that reliable information for assessing GHG emission changes can be provided on policy-relevant scales, expanded observational efforts are needed. Furthermore, the ability to detect trends resulting from changing emissions requires a commitment to supporting long-term observations. Long-term measurements of greenhouse gases, aerosols, and clouds and related climate indicators used with a dimming/brightening index could provide a foundation for quantifying forcing and its attribution and reducing error in existing indicators that do not account for complicated cloud processes.

Suggested Citation

  • Lori Bruhwiler & Sourish Basu & James H. Butler & Abhishek Chatterjee & Ed Dlugokencky & Melissa A. Kenney & Allison McComiskey & Stephen A. Montzka & Diane Stanitski, 2021. "Observations of greenhouse gases as climate indicators," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 165(1), pages 1-18, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:climat:v:165:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1007_s10584-021-03001-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s10584-021-03001-7
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Laetitia Loulergue & Adrian Schilt & Renato Spahni & Valérie Masson-Delmotte & Thomas Blunier & Bénédicte Lemieux & Jean-Marc Barnola & Dominique Raynaud & Thomas F. Stocker & Jérôme Chappellaz, 2008. "Orbital and millennial-scale features of atmospheric CH4 over the past 800,000 years," Nature, Nature, vol. 453(7193), pages 383-386, May.
    2. James H. Butler & Mark Battle & Michael L. Bender & Stephen A. Montzka & Andrew D. Clarke & Eric S. Saltzman & Cara M. Sucher & Jeffrey P. Severinghaus & James W. Elkins, 1999. "A record of atmospheric halocarbons during the twentieth century from polar firn air," Nature, Nature, vol. 399(6738), pages 749-755, June.
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