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Global warming - not just here


Global warming on Neptune’s moon Triton as well as Jupiter and Pluto, and now Mars has some scratching their heads over what could possibly be in common with the warming of all these planets.
In a study recently published in Geophysical Research Letters, H.B. Hammel of the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colo., and G.W. Lockwood of Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Ariz., found that Neptune’s brightness appears to correlate with temperature changes on Earth. They also noted that Neptune’s temperature warmed from 1980 to 2004.

“If changing brightnesses and temperatures of two different planets are correlated, then some planetary climate changes may be due to variations in the solar system environment,” they write in their abstract.

I blame all those American SUV's. Hat Tip Devils Kitchen.
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4 people have spoken:

Anonymous said...

The idea that a number of planets are warming naturally leads to the conclusion that the sun must be getting hotter. However, the theory that a brightening sun is causing global warming falls apart when you consider solar output hasn't risen over the past 30 years (when Earth's global warming has been highest) according to direct satellite measurements by the PMOD since 1978:

This data is confirmed by multiple independent sources:
* Solar irradiance reconstructions by the Max Planck Institute have found solar activity has been steady since 1940.
* Sunspot numbers which are directly responsible for changes in the sun's brightness have leveled out since around 1950.
* Measurements of radio flux, a proxy for solar energy output, also show no rising trend over the last 30 years.

Of course that begs the question - what's causing warming on other planets? (deep breath...) Mars has had massive planet darkening storms over the last 30 years that reduce the planet's albedo (reflectivity) which has a warming effect. Neptune's orbit is 164 years so current brightening is a seasonal response (Neptune's southern hemisphere is heading into summer). Triton's warming is due to the moon approaching an extreme southern summer, a season that occurs every few hundred years. Jupiter's "warming" is a regional effect in what is an extremely volatile climate (eg - storms the size of Earth). Pluto's warming consists of two observations 14 years apart noting a difference in atmospheric thickness which implies warming - scientists are unable to explain why yet. But considering Pluto's orbit is equivalent to 248 Earth years, this says nothing about climate change. It's like saying Earth is warming when comparing winter to summer. Plus Pluto is more than 30 times farther away from the Sun than the Earth is. If the Sun were warming up enough to affect Pluto at that vast distance, it would blowtorch the Earth.

Fidothedog said...

Still we have worlds that are changing in temp. My point is that if that happens elsewhere -as well as here - that it seems silly to blame it on manmade factors alone.

Take into account mass extinctions and huge climate change many times(both hot and cold) in Earths past, and the holes in the arguements about it all being down to mankind being put forward are shown to be in error.

Anonymous said...

Current climate change is not based on manmade factors alone - climate is very complex with lots of things contributing (eg - volcanoes, sulfates in the air, ozone, solar variability). But over the last 50 years, the primary thing that changes Earth's climate - solar variability - has been static and yet our climate is warming. The other factor that has risen in timing with rising temperatures is CO2 levels.

You say the arguments that global warming is caused by man are shown to be in error. What do you base that on?

Sir-C4' said...

Perhaps this has something to do with Maya prediction of the end of the world on 21st December 2012? Could this already be underway thanks to solor activity?