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Climate forcing

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A climate forcing, as a noun, is any specific phenomena which can "force," or effect change on or influence the measure of a climate. Climate forcings can be natural such as a change in sunlight intensity (in terms of how much sunlight is being produced by the sun), or man-made such as pollution. Climate forcing as an action is also used in climate science. The verb usage describes the action of exerting an effect on a climate.

There are two main types of climate forcings. Those which change the amount of energy in the global climate are called radiative forcings. They can increase or decrease the total energy in the system by changing how much energy is reflected or retained. Climate forcings which influence or change climate significantly, but do not change the total amount of energy in Earth's climate, such as ocean circulation, are not radiative forcings.

The pre-dominant climate forcings on Earth are the effects of greenhouse gases and aerosols, atmospheric circulation and ocean circulation. Climate models attempt to incorporate climate forcings into mathematical simulations of the global climate system.

Non-radiative forcings

Non-radiative forcings are climate forcings which influence regional climate. They do not change the total energy within global climate system. Some of these forcings can be considered global climate forcings rather than regional climate forcings as they influence such a large number of climates. For instance, thermohaline circulation regulates climate across the world. Non-radiative forcings can indirectly affect the total energy within the global climate by redistributing energy or substances in such a way that it affects a radiative forcing.

Ocean Circulation

For more information see ocean circulation.

Atmospheric Circulation

For more information see atmospheric circulation.

Topography/Orography

For more information see orography.

Radiative Forcings

Radiative forcings are global climate forcings which influence climate by changing the total amount of energy in the system. Energy is naturally added to the system via the Sun and is naturally lost from the system through heat radiation into space. Phenomena which can change how much of this energy is added or lost are called radiative climate forcings. Additionally, stores of the Sun's energy, such as fossil fuels, can also add energy by releasing it into the system through physical processes such as combustion which releases potential chemical energy as heat. See Radiative forcings for more details.

Greenhouse gases

Greenhouse gases effect heat retention in what is called greenhouse gas radiative forcing (also known as the greenhouse effect).

Clouds

For more information see cloud radiative forcing.

Aerosols

Aerosols effect both heat reflection and heat retention in via aerosol radiative forcing.

Combinations

The following phenomena release both aerosols and greenhouse gases.

Sunlight Intensity

A change in sunlight intensity will have an effect on solar radiation reaching the Earth.

Other climate forcings

These forcings are none of the above.

See Also

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