Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

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.

    --
    You are being MICROattacked, from various angles, in a SOFT manner.
  2. oh the humanity! by mcmonkey · · Score: 3, Funny
    "Greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels, trap infrared radiation, warming the atmosphere. Santer and his associates believe that as the warming accelerates, the troposphere expands, just as a balloon warms and expands when it drifts from a cool room into a warmer one. Tropospheric expansion nudges the tropopause upward."

    A more likely explanation, this is all a result of white people doing that "raise the roof" move.

  3. 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.

    --
    If tits were wings it'd be flying around.
  4. 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.
    --
    Tom Swiss | the infamous tms | my blog
    You cannot wash away blood with blood
  5. Re:How do you locate the tropopause? by GodsMadClown · · Score: 3, Informative

    The tropopause is the boundary level, between the troposphere and stratosphere, at which temperature no longer falls as you rise in altitude.

    As you move beyond the tropopause, into the stratosphere, atmospheric temperature will rise because the stratosphere contains more ozone. Ozone absorbs a significant portion of the UV light from the sun, adding energy to warm the atmosphere. Because atmosphere at these altitudes is much less dense, it doesn't take nearly as much energy to make changes in temperature. Because temperature rises with altitude, the stratospheric air is stable, with little vertical mixing.