Weather Banter - View Single Post - Question on carbon dioxide and convective cells

\yvind Seland · March 5th 07, 12:14 PM posted to sci.geo.meteorology

In article .com, writes:
On Feb 26, 10:29 pm, (=D8yvind Seland) wrote:
In article .com, pgarr=
writes:
Would not extra atmospheric carbon dioxide increase the efficiency of
the Hadley, Ferrel, and Polar cells in cooling the earth's surface by
causing the upper troposphere to radiate better?

To be more specific, say the tradewinds blow across the heated ocean.
Evaporation occurs, cooling the ocean. A thunderstorm, front, or
cyclone happens, precipation occurs, the air is heated, and rises. In
the upper troposphere it cools, before descending to complete the
cycle. However it can only cool because it contains carbon dioxide, as
oxygen, nitrogen, if they do not absorb, neither shall they emit
radiation. This presumes that water vapor is insignificant at these
elevated alti
CO2 transfer energy to N2 and O2 by molecular collisions.

So how do the N2 and O2 lose that energy? By colliding with CO2 [and
clouds according to the second poster] which radiate it. If a layer of
gas is to lose energy by radiation, it needs a radiator, no?

This suggest to me that O2 and N2 cannot emit radiation, so must
collide with CO2, H2O, or a cloud to lose energy.

That sounds more precise that my thoughts on the topic yes.

As the second poster also commented the amount of CO2 increases
further up in the atmosphere, and absorbs more efficient higher up

Øyvind Seland