Greenhouse gas radiative efficiency ($a_i$)

The incremental radiative forcing per increment of a specified atmospheric gas burden. State whether the abundance unit is emitted mass, mole fraction or ppb, and specify the radiation-adjustment convention. For equal emitted masses in a fixed atmospheric air inventory, a per-ppb coefficient must be divided by the gas molar mass before comparing efficiencies. Spectral overlap with existing absorption makes efficiency depend on the background state.

Overlap of a gas absorption spectrum with existing atmospheric absorption changes its incremental radiative effect. A strong band in an already opaque spectral interval can contribute less additional outgoing-flux reduction than a weaker band in a window. Pressure broadening, altitude, temperature and the source spectrum also matter.