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The Sky Is Rising

Posted by michael on from the look-out-above dept.

Makarand writes "The height of the tropopause, the boundary layer between the troposphere and stratosphere and the roof of the Earth's lower atmosphere, has risen by an average of around 650 feet globally over the last 22 years according to this article in the San Francisco Chronicle. Greenhouse gases trap infrared radiation and warm the troposphere. The resulting tropospheric expansion is moving the tropopause upward. Also, the ozone depleted stratosphere is losing its ability to absorb sunlight causing it to cool and contract pulling the tropopause upward."

5 of 42 comments (clear)

  1. Of course by SpaceLifeForm · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This is to be expected. Imagine the atmosphere as a balloon. If you heat it, it will expand. And not only that, but it's surface area will stretch and become thinner. Now imagine that the surface area of the balloon is the earth's ozone. There is only so much to spread around, and it becomes thinner and thinner. In the case of the balloon, it will pop of course, in the case of the atmosphere, it will re-organize itself in whatever state the laws of phsyics decide it should be organized. I.E, the ozone "hole". My point here is that the ozone "hole" can exist not just because of CFCs, but also because of Global Warming.

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    1. Re:Of course by Alsee · · Score: 2, Insightful

      it's surface area will stretch and become thinner.

      We are talking about something like a quarter-mile increase on a sphere with a radius of about 4000 miles. The "stretch factor" on the surface area and thickness is 0.0001.

      There are some interesting and complicated effects going on, but a thinning of the ozone layer due to stretching isn't one of them.

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  2. Before everyone shouts global warming... by Omkar · · Score: 2, Insightful

    try to remember we're just coming out of a frickin' ice age. The earth's temperature fluctuates, and not necessarily because of humans.

    1. Re:Before everyone shouts global warming... by PD · · Score: 3, Insightful

      It's been shown that at least some of the change is due to human activity, and we can't wave our hands and make that just go away.

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    2. Re:Before everyone shouts global warming... by Mr.+Slippery · · Score: 3, Insightful
      The earth's temperature fluctuates, and not necessarily because of humans.
      People's heartrate fluctuates, and not necessarily because of caffeiene. However, if I just downed a triple espresso, and my pulse is now at 150bpm, it's a pretty good hypothesis that the drug is responsible, and common sense that if I don't want further increases I should cut back.
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