How do infrared radiation and carbon dioxide relate to weather, climate
John Shanahan
August 23, 2024
This note was inspired by discussions involving infrared radiation to explain the influence of carbon dioxide on weather and climate.
The band around the planet ~200km north and south of the Equator is mostly tropical. But it has many kinds of climate that exist mainly elsewhere. I've been to some of these places and marveled at them.
Ecuador
Esmeraldas, Ecuador on the Pacific Ocean
Galapagos Islands near the Equator. John Shanahan napping with wildlife, 2010.
The different kinds of climate at the Equator are due to ocean currents, air currents, dry and wet sides of mountain ranges AND elevation.
Earth's many climates are beautiful and determined by many factors besides what happens to photons of infrared radiation during and after they strike carbon dioxide molecules, subsequent collisions with other air molecules and the back-radiation hitting Earth's surface again!
Quantum mechanics is one of the "sacred" mysteries of the universe as are gravity, time and space. But quantum mechanics doesn't tell the whole story of weather and climate, at least for this civil engineer.
I work with many scientist and engineer colleagues. We have different ideas about climate science. That is what science is about.
Real crackpots are catastrophic man-made global warming alarmists like Al Gore, John Kerry, John Holdren and their power grabbing co-conspirators. They must be banished from any position of authority over other people.