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Estimating Climate Sensitivity Report of a Workshop (2003) / Chapter Skim
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Closing Session
Pages 24-32

The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.


From page 24...
... The earth's climate system is not deterministic on longer time scales and since the historical record is just one realizanon out of many that could have occurred, it thus may not be a "stable platform" for projecting future changes. The chaos of the system may preclude the kinds of specific projections about local or regional climate that decision makers really want, but the general magnitude and rates of change may be predictable with knowledge of the forcings and feedbacks and win knowledge of He low frequency natural variability acting within the changing climate.
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From page 25...
... Improving the understanding of how climate sensitivity evolves over time could be achieved by developing models that include more regional scale information about anthropogenically driven changes in the climate system, such as human influences on land surface characteristics and hydrological and biogeochemical cycles, as well as aerosol radiative forcing changes from biomass-burrung aerosols. · Model comparison studies are valuable for helping people understand the effects of particular feedbacks on sensitivity.
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From page 26...
... · Narrowing Me range of forcings associated with aerosols is likely to aid in constraining the high end of the PDF for climate sensitivity. Moreover, if radiative forcing from aerosol-induced changes to ice clouds were included in climate models, it could change our understanding of the future projected temperature change associated with a given climate sensitivity.
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From page 28...
... cr: o IL a: o id o J l CO o LO I~ CM — it C\l 11]
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From page 29...
... I r I 1 T I 1 1 ~ I I I I r al ~ r ~5 f to to to O it_ .Y ~ _ _ _d a_ it_ ~_ In - _ U Cal Q lo lo lo lo ,_ we to lo to 9 levels!
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From page 30...
... (~}t Jad ~n~dlns seuuo~ ~o SUO!
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Key Terms

  • radiative forcing
  • model results
  • simple models
  • climate model
  • distribution tail

  • climate models
  • observational data
  • average temperature
  • aerosol radiative
  • future changes

  • global mean
  • quantify climate
  • global average
  • temperature records
  • changing climate

  • input values
  • constrained using
  • probabilistic studies
  • comparison studies
  • nor desirable

  • inherent limitations
  • forcings associated
  • forcing agents
  • intercomparison studies
  • help define

  • driven changes
  • ice clouds
  • impact research
  • remaining challenge
  • studies confirmed


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