Jun 8, 2022
Greenhouse Heating Breaking Up Stratocumulus Cloud Decks
Triggering Additional Surface Warming of 8 °C Globally
TL;DR: Stratocumulus cloud decks break up when CO₂e (Carbon Dioxide Equivalent) levels rise above the tipping point of about 1,200 ppm (parts per million).
That will trigger a rapid surface warming of about 8 °C globally and 10 °C in the subtropics. You can read the entire study here:
Possible climate transitions from breakup of stratocumulus decks under greenhouse warming by Tapio Schneider, Colleen M. Kaul & Kyle G. Pressel in Nature Geoscience Volume 12, pages 163–167 (2019)
Caltech’s Tapio Schneider, Theodore Y. Wu Professor of Environmental Science and Engineering and Senior Research Scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which Caltech manages for NASA, is the lead author of the study.
On March 14, 2022, I published a story about how more than 804 ppm of total atmospheric CO₂e already existed from just CO₂ (Carbon Dioxide), CH₄ (Methane), and N₂O (Nitrous Oxide). Those levels have only increased since then with the rapid rise of CH₄ perhaps being the most alarming.
I didn’t include the CO₂e levels of HFCs (Hydrofluorocarbons), PFCs (Perfluorochemicals), Nitrogen trifluoride, or Sulfur hexafluoride, each with 7,390–22,800 times CO₂’s GWP (Global Warming Potential).
You can read the entire story here:
NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) data show a CO₂ level of 421.13 ppm for the week starting May 8, 2022, a new record high since measurements began at Mauna Loa, Hawaii.
Last year, 2021, the CO₂ daily average was 419.85 ppm.
Very high daily levels were reached recently, as high as 422.04 ppm.
Greenhouse gas levels are even higher in the Arctic.
CO₂ levels were recently recorded at Barrow, Alaska, approaching 430 ppm. Very high CH₄ levels were also recently recorded at Barrow, Alaska, including many at levels well over 2000 ppb (parts per billion).
- CH₄ has a GWP of 200 times that of CO₂ for the first few years.
- CH₄ at 2000 ppb x 200 = 400 ppm CO₂e.
Ocean heat entering the Arctic Ocean from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans keeps rising.
The latent heat tipping point and a Blue Ocean Event is estimated to be when the Arctic sea ice extent falls below 1 million km². The recorded minimum is 3.387 million km² on September 17, 2012. The record shows that the current 2022 extent of Arctic sea ice is less than it was in 2012.
The trigger of an 8 °C global temperature rise.
We are currently in the depths of a persistent La Niña which suppresses current temperatures. El Niños typically occur every 3 to 5 years. The last El Niño occurred during 2018–19.
Sunspots are currently well above NOAA predictions.
The combined impact of an upcoming El Niño and a peak in sunspots looks set to trigger a huge temperature rise in the Arctic.
Rising temperatures in the Arctic intensify changes to the Jet Stream, accelerating the loss of terrestrial albedo in the Arctic that could equal the albedo loss resulting from sea ice decline.
Permafrost degradation, both terrestrial and on the seafloor of the Arctic Ocean, looks set to cause huge releases of CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O.
On May 16, 2022, Epoch Eclipse published a story about how Co-extinctions will wipe us out with a 5.0 °C rise.
You can read the entire story here:
On March 9, 2022, Epoch Eclipse published a story about the reticence of climate scientists to raise their voices about the results of climate crimes. Clearly, it’s left to amateurs such as myself to raise the alarm.
You can read the entire story here:
On March 7, 2022, Epoch Eclipse published a story about the climate crimes committed by the Carbon Majors that got us to this point.
You can read the entire story here:
On March 30, 2022, Epoch Eclipse published a story about how drastic our climate situation is.
You can read the entire story here:
As the surface of the Earth becomes hotter, more water vapor becomes suspended in the atmosphere. Water vapor is the most potent greenhouse gas and is beyond the control of people. This positive feedback on global heating is out of our hands.
Nature bats last.
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