Thread by @ncdave4life

1/4.
Re: the two definitions of "heat"

Joe wrote, "a body does not contain heat"

Are you sure about that, Joe? Then riddle me this:

Ａ. What does "heat capacity" mean?

Ｂ. What does "heat content" mean? (E.g., "ocean heat content" [OHC].)

Those are "open book" questions. Feel free to use a dictionary, or search google scholar, etc. In fact, I'll help you get started:

Heat capacity:
●
●

Ocean heat content (OHC):
●
●

Heat content (other than OHC):
●
●

2/4.
Re: lapse rate, and what the air absorbs

Joe wrote, "The atmosphere has different T’s based on what it absorbs from above or below."

That's correct, in part. †

But Joe also wrote, "lapse rate is not enhanced by CO2."

Here's the thing: CO2 in the air affects "what [the atmosphere] absorbs from above and below."

This is Earth's emission spectrum (measured from orbit, over the tropical Pacific). The big notch which I've annotated in green is due to CO2 in the air absorbing radiation from below (and also emitting radiation from air at colder temperatures):


(† However, asking what causes the zip-zag lapse rate shape was kind of a trick question, because there are several causes, and thermodynamic expansion/ compression of air is another, and condensation/ evaporation of moisture is a third.)

3/4.
CO2 (and other GHGs) are colorants. They tint the atmosphere (though in the far infrared, rather than visible part of the spectrum). That causes the air to absorb radiation that otherwise would have passed through. Absorbing radiation warms the air.


It doesn't take much "colorant" to have a substantial effect on absorption of radiation.

https://twitter.com/ncdave4life/status/1259053094526169088

@GAJAJW @EthonRaptor @ScienceBlog3 @AuroriaEn @Anvndarnamn5 @AndreGrossza @Willard1951 @DenisDaly @S_Metzeler @Veritatem2021 @priscian @Michael_D_Crow @JusticeTrudeau @BenKoby1911 @Mark_A_Lunn @judgementalbe1 @AristotleMrs @ChrisBBacon3 @Coleski14 @wallytoms0 @Climatehope2 @LesserMegadeath @WernerReinhard5 @S_D_Mannix @ammocrypta @JimBlack48 @Jaisans @CarrudoDon @LiveLifeBK24 @TheDisproof @Joeyd87745119 @Devonian1342 @Data79504085 @Hji45519156 @waxliberty @SuperFoxyLoxy @JaapTitulaer @wjack76995 @Rocky35418823 @NobaconEgbert @balls95652097 @JustThi30117912 @SniemN @BointonGiles @SeekerTheGreat1 @ubique60 4/4.
If you want to learn about it, there are some great resources here:

(Especially #7 - #11)sealevel.info/learnmore.html…

@GAJAJW @EthonRaptor @ScienceBlog3 @AuroriaEn @Anvndarnamn5 @AndreGrossza @Willard1951 @DenisDaly @S_Metzeler @Veritatem2021 @priscian @Michael_D_Crow @JusticeTrudeau @BenKoby1911 @Mark_A_Lunn @judgementalbe1 @AristotleMrs @ChrisBBacon3 @Coleski14 @wallytoms0 @Climatehope2 @LesserMegadeath @WernerReinhard5 @S_D_Mannix @ammocrypta @JimBlack48 @Jaisans @CarrudoDon @LiveLifeBK24 @TheDisproof @Joeyd87745119 @Devonian1342 @Data79504085 @Hji45519156 @waxliberty @SuperFoxyLoxy @JaapTitulaer @wjack76995 @Rocky35418823 @NobaconEgbert @balls95652097 @JustThi30117912 @SniemN @BointonGiles @SeekerTheGreat1 @ubique60 Compilation:


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