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Joined 2026-09-21 Message
Incoming links: Equilibrium climate sensitivity
F is the imposed radiative forcing; −λTs is the restoring change in outgoing radiation; and −γ(Ts−Td) transfers heat from the surface layer to the deep ocean, whose equal and opposite gain appears in its own energy balance. The additional −λ′(Ts−Td) is a radiative adjustment correlated with the surface–deep-ocean temperature contrast, representing a pattern-dependent effective feedback rather than another conserved interlayer heat flux.
For constant forcing, final equilibrium has Ts=Td=F/λ. During transient warming Td<Ts, so the radiative response inferred from a recent global energy budget is λeff=λ+λ′(1−Td/Ts)>λ. If that response were mistaken for the final feedback, the inferred equilibrium climate sensitivity would be too small. Summing the two equations makes the distinction explicit: d(CsTs+CdTd)/dt=F−λTs−λ′(Ts−Td).
A linearly increasing radiative forcing produces a fast adjustment over about four years superposed on a slow deep-ocean response over about four hundred years. Once forcing stops increasing at year 70, surface warming continues and approaches the final 3K equilibrium. The right panel of solution gives a model response normalized to the supplied 2K endpoint and 3K equilibrium.
Write u=t−70 after stabilization and 3−Ts=Afe−u/4+Ase−u/400, with Af+As=1K. For a 70-year forcing ramp, the normalized step response is 1−bfe−t/4−bse−t/400, bf+bs=1. The ramp endpoint impliesThis gives bs≃0.322, Af≃0.116K and As≃0.884K. Thusat u=10,15,20 years respectively. The usual order estimate after the fast tail has largely disappeared is T˙s∼(3−2)/400≃0.0025Kyr−1, with a still visible fast contribution near year 10.
1=3[bf704(1−e−70/4)+bs70400(1−e−70/400)].
T˙s=4Afe−u/4+400Ase−u/400≃0.0045, 0.0028, 0.0023Kyr−1
To hold Ts=T∗ fixed, the deep layer obeys Ts−Td∝e−γu/Cd and the surface equation requires F=λT∗+γ(T∗−Td). Hence F˙=−γ2(T∗−Td)/Cd. Using bf≃λ/(λ+γ) gives γ/λ≃0.475 and γ/Cd≃1/(400bf)≃0.00369yr−1. With T∗=2K and initial forcing F0=3λ, the initial fractional decline isThe rate declines slowly as the ocean contrast disappears. A coarser estimate treating the post-fast warming as an effective equilibrium change gives 0.0025/3≃0.08% per year; distinguishing the instantaneous surface feedback from the equilibrium feedback explains that difference.
−F0F˙≃3γ/Cd≃0.00123yr−1≃0.12% per year.
Wording qualification: the printed text says a “1% increase … over 70 years”. The conventional transient climate response experiment uses 1% per year, which nearly doubles concentration in 70 years. A literal total 1% increase would not define the usual equilibrium climate sensitivity or transient climate response. The supplied 3K and 2K are used here as the endpoint normalizations, and a logarithmically uniform concentration growth gives the assumed linear forcing ramp.
The actual Earth response to doubling carbon dioxide is expected to be much smaller than this roughly 60K all-grey-absorbers estimate. Carbon dioxide absorbs in selected spectral bands rather than doubling opacity across the entire thermal spectrum, and doubling it does not double the other infrared absorbers. Saturated band centres and overlap with water absorption further distinguish it from uniform opacity multiplication. Changes in water vapour, clouds and the lapse rate introduce important climate feedbacks, but do not justify treating the real atmosphere as the stipulated dry, wavelength-independent absorber. The idealized number is therefore not an estimate of real-world equilibrium climate sensitivity.