Comparative Estimates of Influence of Changes in Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Nitrous Oxide, and Water Vapor Concentrations on Radiation-Equilibrium Temperature of Earth’s Surface

S. M. Semenov and I. O. Popov

This paper deals with direct calculations of the radiation-equilibrium temperature profile in the Earth’s atmosphere from experimental spectroscopic data. The calculations are made for its present composition and for the modified ones, when concentration of a gas, namely, one of carbon dioxide CO2, methane CH4, nitrous oxide N2O or water vapor H2O is changed. Calculations were carried out with one-dimensional (horizontally homogeneous) radiation model proceeding from the values of absorption coefficients of atmospheric layers estimated from actual data. Calculations are carried out for small disturbances of the said gases’concentrations. Approximate estimates of large disturbance were made for the cases of total withdrawal of concrete gas from the atmosphere or, on the contrary, of large increase in its concentration.