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2stroketech
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can anyone tell me what the saturation point of CO2 is in the atmosphere in relationship to it's effect as a green house gas? At what point does extra CO2 have no more effect?
kamerling said:There's no real saturation point. The effect is approximately proportional to the logarithm of the concentration, so each extra ppm will do less.
Andre said:Let's rephrase the correct answer then,
on this graph we used the calculation model MODTRAN to compute the theoretical radiative balance with increasing concentrations of CO2 and CH4 assuming no feedbacks. For each order of magnitude increase of concentration 1- 10 -100 etc, the radiative balance is restored at about a fixed increase in temperature according to the model. The dimishining return starts at the beginning.
But then again, it's only a model
Happy to explain how it works, if it interests somebody.
Iout, W / m2 = 287.844
Iout, W / m2 = 284.672
Andre said:That should be correct. Of course we are looking at a complex carbon cycle.
You could compare the carbon (carbon dioxide + methane etc) in the atmosphere with a bucket of water, filled by several water taps but drained by holes in the bottom. Within certain limits, if the draining equals the filling, both being constant, then the water level is constant as well, increase the rate of filling and the water level will increase, which increases the draining rate due to the increased water pressure. As soon as the draining rate matches the filling rate again, the water level stabilizes again but at a higher level. Dynamic stability. If that's what you would call, saturation point, then sure, with constant rates of filling and draining the CO2 level should reach a dynamic stability point/saturation point.
Edit: I'm tired. I reread and I think you did understand.
Edit: I just reread your response and it seems that maybe I misunderstood and only thought you misunderstood me. or something like that. I'm tired.
The carbon filling and draining of the atmosphere is supposed to look like http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/faculty/ritter/geog101/textbook/earth_system/carbon_cycle_NASA.jpg .
It's more complex than the bucket, looks more like many buckets, where the rate of exchange between fast and slow cycles is important. The upper ocean - atmosphere exchange is fast buthttp://www.geographypages.co.uk/weathering.htm as well as organic carbon burial are much slower cycles. It would require for that part to match the fossil fuel burning rate before dynamic stability can be reached. The fossil fuels would probably deplete first, which also would limit the maximum CO2 concentration.
bobbobwhite said:In the "Gore warming"(my name) years, which show very convincing evidence that man is the primary cause of global warming,...
has the very significant increase in CO2 in that period been accompanied by a similar and corresponding measurable increase in the biomass of photosynthetic organisms that perform the main CO2 reduction function on earth?
The CO2 saturation point refers to the concentration of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere at which the greenhouse effect reaches its maximum potential. This means that increasing the amount of CO2 beyond this point will not have a significant impact on the Earth's temperature.
CO2 is a greenhouse gas, meaning it absorbs and traps heat in the Earth's atmosphere. It does this by allowing solar radiation to pass through the Earth's atmosphere and reach the surface, but then trapping the heat that is radiated back from the surface. This leads to an overall increase in temperature, known as the greenhouse effect.
The current CO2 saturation point is estimated to be around 400 parts per million (ppm). This means that for every million molecules of air in the Earth's atmosphere, about 400 of them are carbon dioxide. This is significantly higher than pre-industrial levels and is continuing to rise due to human activities.
If we continue to increase the concentration of CO2 in the Earth's atmosphere beyond the saturation point, it could lead to an acceleration of the greenhouse effect and further warming of the Earth's surface. This could have devastating consequences, such as sea level rise, extreme weather events, and disruptions to ecosystems.
While we cannot reverse the CO2 saturation point, we can slow down and eventually stop the increase in CO2 concentrations by reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. This can be achieved through a combination of lifestyle changes, technological advancements, and policy changes. It is crucial that we take action now to mitigate the effects of climate change.