Large regional shortwave forcing by anthropogenic methane informed by Jovian observations
Abstract
Recently, it was recognized that widely used calculations of methane radiative forcing systematically underestimated its global value by 15% by omitting its shortwave effects. We show that shortwave forcing by methane can be accurately calculated despite considerable uncertainty and large gaps in its shortwave spectroscopy. We demonstrate that the forcing is insensitive, even when confronted with much more complete methane absorption spectra extending to violet light wavelengths derived from observations of methane-rich Jovian planets. We undertake the first spatially resolved global calculations of this forcing and find that it is dependent on bright surface features and clouds. Localized annual mean forcing from preindustrial to present-day methane increases approaches +0.25 W/m2, 10 times the global annualized shortwave forcing and 43% of the total direct CH4 forcing. Shortwave forcing by anthropogenic methane is sufficiently large and accurate to warrant its inclusion in historical analyses, projections, and mitigation strategies for climate change.
- Authors:
-
[1];
[2];
[2];
[3]
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- California Inst. of Technology, Pasadena, CA (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1506363
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC02-05CH11231
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Science Advances
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 4; Journal Issue: 9; Journal ID: ISSN 2375-2548
- Publisher:
- AAAS
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Citation Formats
Collins, William D., Feldman, Daniel R., Kuo, Chaincy, and Nguyen, Newton H. Large regional shortwave forcing by anthropogenic methane informed by Jovian observations. United States: N. p., 2018.
Web. doi:10.1126/sciadv.aas9593.
Collins, William D., Feldman, Daniel R., Kuo, Chaincy, & Nguyen, Newton H. Large regional shortwave forcing by anthropogenic methane informed by Jovian observations. United States. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aas9593
Collins, William D., Feldman, Daniel R., Kuo, Chaincy, and Nguyen, Newton H. Wed .
"Large regional shortwave forcing by anthropogenic methane informed by Jovian observations". United States. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aas9593. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1506363.
@article{osti_1506363,
title = {Large regional shortwave forcing by anthropogenic methane informed by Jovian observations},
author = {Collins, William D. and Feldman, Daniel R. and Kuo, Chaincy and Nguyen, Newton H.},
abstractNote = {Recently, it was recognized that widely used calculations of methane radiative forcing systematically underestimated its global value by 15% by omitting its shortwave effects. We show that shortwave forcing by methane can be accurately calculated despite considerable uncertainty and large gaps in its shortwave spectroscopy. We demonstrate that the forcing is insensitive, even when confronted with much more complete methane absorption spectra extending to violet light wavelengths derived from observations of methane-rich Jovian planets. We undertake the first spatially resolved global calculations of this forcing and find that it is dependent on bright surface features and clouds. Localized annual mean forcing from preindustrial to present-day methane increases approaches +0.25 W/m2, 10 times the global annualized shortwave forcing and 43% of the total direct CH4 forcing. Shortwave forcing by anthropogenic methane is sufficiently large and accurate to warrant its inclusion in historical analyses, projections, and mitigation strategies for climate change.},
doi = {10.1126/sciadv.aas9593},
journal = {Science Advances},
number = 9,
volume = 4,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Sep 26 00:00:00 EDT 2018},
month = {Wed Sep 26 00:00:00 EDT 2018}
}
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