Share

Recommended by the IIR

Updated Global Warming Potentials and Radiative Efficiencies of Halocarbons and Other Weak Atmospheric Absorbers

Author(s) : HODNEBROG Ø., AAMAAS B., FUGLESTVEDT J.S., MARSTON G., MYHRE G., NIELSEN C.J., SANDSTAD M., SHINE K. P., WALLINGTON T. J.

Type of article: Periodical article, Review

Summary

Human activity has led to increased atmospheric concentrations of many gases, including halocarbons (used, e.g., in refrigeration and air conditioning), and may lead to emissions of many other gases. While some halocarbons, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), are known to deplete stratospheric ozone, they are also powerful greenhouse gases contributing to radiative forcing (the net change in the energy balance of the Earth system) and hence climate change. We find that the present‐day contribution from halocarbons and related compounds to radiative forcing is about 18% of the forcing due to increased concentrations of CO2. By using established methods and available laboratory measurements of absorption of infrared radiation for each gas, we quantify the radiative efficiency (i.e., a compound's strength as a greenhouse gas) for a total of around 600 compounds. For around 250 compounds we provide so‐called global warming potentials (GWP), which are used to compare the climate impact of emissions of different gases and are commonly used to inform policy decisions. Results presented here can be used to derive values for emission metrics other than GWP. The present work is the most comprehensive review of the radiative efficiency and GWP of halocarbons and other weak absorbers performed to date.

Available documents

Updated Global Warming Potentials and Radiative Efficiencies of Halocarbons and Other Weak Atmospheric Absorbers

Pages: 30

Available

Free

Download

Details

  • Original title: Updated Global Warming Potentials and Radiative Efficiencies of Halocarbons and Other Weak Atmospheric Absorbers
  • Record ID : 30027791
  • Languages: English
  • Subject: Environment
  • Source: Reviews of Geophysics - vol. 58 - n. 3
  • Publishers: American Geophysical Union (AGU)
  • Publication date: 2020/09
  • DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2019RG000691
  • Document available for consultation in the library of the IIR headquarters only.

Links


See the source

Indexing