Past exam of the physics of atmospheres and oceans course of the University of Oxford / 2019 / 3 / a

Assume an ideal gas dominated by carbon dioxide, constant mean molar heat capacity $C_p$, and a dry convective adiabat connecting the stated emitting layer to the ground. Conservation of entropy gives $C_{p}d\ln T=Rd\ln p$, where $R$ is the universal molar gas constant. ThusThe estimate extrapolates across a pressure ratio of $450$. It neglects radiatively stable layers, variable heat capacity, departures from an ideal gas and changes in composition; these approximations limit its accuracy. A brightness temperature observed from space cannot generally be equated to a unique material level, but this calculation uses the layer interpretation explicitly supplied by the question.