Earth's Energy Imbalance: Confirmation and Implications
Goddard Institute for Space Studies · Jet Propulsion Laboratory · +3 more institutions
Abstract
Our climate model, driven mainly by increasing human-made greenhouse gases and aerosols, among other forcings, calculates that Earth is now absorbing 0.85 +/- 0.15 watts per square meter more energy from the Sun than it is emitting to space. This imbalance is confirmed by precise measurements of increasing ocean heat content over the past 10 years. Implications include (i) the expectation of additional global warming of about 0.6 degrees C without further change of atmospheric composition; (ii) the confirmation of the climate system's lag in responding to forcings, implying the need for anticipatory actions to avoid any specified level of climate change; and (iii) the likelihood of acceleration of ice sheet…
Citation impact
- FWCI
- 64.89
- Percentile
- 100%
- References
- 33
Authors
15- JEJames E. HansenCorresponding
Goddard Institute for Space Studies, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Earth Island Institute, Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies (United States), Columbia University
- LNLarissa Nazarenko
Goddard Institute for Space Studies, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Earth Island Institute, Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies (United States), Columbia University
- RRReto Rüedy
Goddard Institute for Space Studies, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Earth Island Institute, Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies (United States), Columbia University
- MSMakiko Sato
Goddard Institute for Space Studies, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Earth Island Institute, Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies (United States), Columbia University
- JKJ. K. Willis
Goddard Institute for Space Studies, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Earth Island Institute, Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies (United States), Columbia University
Topics & keywords
- Environmental science
- Climate change
- Atmospheric sciences
- Climate commitment
- Greenhouse gas
- Greenhouse effect
- Climatology
- Earth (classical element)
- Climate action