Are other planets getting hotter like the Earth?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on whether other planets in the solar system are experiencing warming similar to Earth, and the implications of such warming on the understanding of the greenhouse effect and solar energy output. The scope includes theoretical considerations, observational claims, and various hypotheses regarding planetary temperature changes and their causes.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question if other planets are getting hotter like Earth, suggesting that increased solar output could be a cause.
  • Others argue that the greenhouse effect is responsible for Venus being hotter than Mercury, regardless of proximity to the Sun.
  • A participant notes that the warming detected on Earth is minimal and difficult to measure on other planets for comparison.
  • There are claims that Earth's upper atmosphere is cooling while the lower atmosphere warms, raising questions about energy transfer between layers.
  • Some participants assert that Mars is currently experiencing warming.
  • Concerns are raised about the reliability of studies on solar output, with some suggesting that satellite data may be flawed.
  • One participant expresses a personal opinion that carbon dioxide is not the main cause of climate change, attributing it instead to land use changes and soot deposition.
  • Another participant emphasizes the importance of considering the entire body of research and acknowledges that while industrialization contributes to warming, not everyone agrees that CO2 is the sole factor.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of views, with no clear consensus on whether other planets are warming or the primary causes of climate change on Earth. Disagreements exist regarding the role of CO2, solar output, and the interpretation of observational data.

Contextual Notes

Some claims rely on assumptions about solar output and atmospheric dynamics that are not universally accepted. The discussion reflects a variety of interpretations of observational data and theoretical models.

verdigris
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Are the other planets in the solar system getting hotter like the Earth and if they are would this mean that the so-called Greenhouse effect is being caused by increased output of energy by the Sun and not by carbon dioxide?
 
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What you have to understand is that the planet Venus is hotter than the planet Mercury, even though Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun. The reason for this is, the greenhouse effect. So even if the other planets are getting hotter, or colder, the greenhouse effect will still warm the Earth more than it normally would if we didn't pump all that CO2 into the atmosphere.
 
What I meant to say was: if all the planets regardless of their atmospheric make-up are getting hotter each year,then only the sun increasing its energy output could account for this.
 
The amount of warming being detected on Earth is so tiny that this isn't something we can accurately measure on other planets for comparison.
 
Earth's upper atmosphere is cooling
while lower part warms [CO2 traping]
that shoots the sun as a reason for rhe warming right down
 
"Earth's upper atmosphere is cooling
while lower part warms [CO2 traping]
that shoots the sun as a reason for rhe warming right down"

Why is the upper atmosphere cooling - is it passing energy to the lower atmosphere?
 
Earth's upper atmosphere is cooling
while lower part warms [CO2 traping]
that shoots the sun as a reason for rhe warming right down

Why is the upper atmosphere cooling - is it passing energy to the lower atmosphere?
 
one idea is that the lower warmer part is not flowing upward
do to CO2 traping the heat
 
Mars is one of the planets getting hotter right now.
 
  • #10
verdigris said:
What I meant to say was: if all the planets regardless of their atmospheric make-up are getting hotter each year,then only the sun increasing its energy output could account for this.

The sun is getting brighter with time, but its energy output is both well-measured and well-modelled. Its brightening can't account for global warming because it occurs on much larger timescales.
 
  • #11
Donski said:
the greenhouse effect will still warm the Earth more than it normally would if we didn't pump all that CO2 into the atmosphere.

It has been claimed that CO2 will only absorb radiant heat at 15 microns. Yet radiant heat can be between about 7 to 20 microns. If this is true then surely more man made heat is escaping from the Earth than is absorbed.
 
  • #12
I think this topic often is discussed with the knowledge learned on television or mentions in the newspaper.

If you look at the entire picture of research out there -- there are some key points to look at:

1. The Earth is getting warmer. It is getting warmer faster then has ever been recoreded -- or to this point can be determined from ice core samples.

2. Most people will agree that it is partly due to industrialization. Not everyone agrees it is CO2 alone.

3. Studies on sun output to this point have been questionable. Two satellite studies have data that may be flawed.

4. We should make preperations for adapting to the changes a warmer Earth will bring.



Personal Opinion: Carbon Dioxide is not the main cause. A volcanic eruption spews more CO2 than we have put into the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution began. However, our constant output spread all over the globe is making it more difficult for the Earth to process this carbon. In my opinion, it is the mass transition of land that is a major cause. We burn carbon poorly, causing soot to be deposited -- which absorbs more energy. We build more buildings and roads at the expense of trees and grass -- which also absorbs more energy.

We should try to burn less carbon, but it isn't necessarily the main cause of "global climate change."
 
  • #13
wxrocks said:
I think this topic often is discussed with the knowledge learned on television or mentions in the newspaper.

If you look at the entire picture of research out there -- there are some key points to look at:

1. The Earth is getting warmer. It is getting warmer faster then has ever been recoreded -- or to this point can be determined from ice core samples.

2. Most people will agree that it is partly due to industrialization. Not everyone agrees it is CO2 alone.

3. Studies on sun output to this point have been questionable. Two satellite studies have data that may be flawed.

4. We should make preperations for adapting to the changes a warmer Earth will bring.



Personal Opinion: Carbon Dioxide is not the main cause. A volcanic eruption spews more CO2 than we have put into the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution began. However, our constant output spread all over the globe is making it more difficult for the Earth to process this carbon. In my opinion, it is the mass transition of land that is a major cause. We burn carbon poorly, causing soot to be deposited -- which absorbs more energy. We build more buildings and roads at the expense of trees and grass -- which also absorbs more energy.

We should try to burn less carbon, but it isn't necessarily the main cause of "global climate change."

Even when volcanoes erupt tiny little crytals inside the ash coulds refelect the sunlight back into space. So when most volcanoes erupt all their doing is cooling down the earth.
 
  • #14
wxrocks said:
I think this topic often is discussed with the knowledge learned on television or mentions in the newspaper.

If you look at the entire picture of research out there -- there are some key points to look at:

1. The Earth is getting warmer. It is getting warmer faster then has ever been recoreded -- or to this point can be determined from ice core samples.

2. Most people will agree that it is partly due to industrialization. Not everyone agrees it is CO2 alone.

3. Studies on sun output to this point have been questionable. Two satellite studies have data that may be flawed.

4. We should make preperations for adapting to the changes a warmer Earth will bring.



Personal Opinion: Carbon Dioxide is not the main cause. A volcanic eruption spews more CO2 than we have put into the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution began. However, our constant output spread all over the globe is making it more difficult for the Earth to process this carbon. In my opinion, it is the mass transition of land that is a major cause. We burn carbon poorly, causing soot to be deposited -- which absorbs more energy. We build more buildings and roads at the expense of trees and grass -- which also absorbs more energy.

We should try to burn less carbon, but it isn't necessarily the main cause of "global climate change."

Take a look at Ice Core samples. They clearly show that ever since the Industrial Revolution, our CO2 levels skyrocketed.
 

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