{"title":"Reflections on the Anthropocene","authors":"H. Dolman","doi":"10.1093/OSO/9780198779308.003.0014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/OSO/9780198779308.003.0014","url":null,"abstract":"Humans have dramatically changed Earth’s environment, on the land, in the ocean and in the atmosphere. The rate of change of these perturbations in the Anthropocene is unlike any in our geological past. This also means humans need to develop plans to counter the most severe effects. Geoengineering is probably the best example of the search for a solution to such a self-created problem. However, a long-term solution most likely requires a shift in our thinking towards sustainable development, putting environmental cost before capital gains and developing a more cyclic economy. This requires changes in the way we define and perceive the interaction between the biogeochemistry of Earth system and our own economies.","PeriodicalId":305899,"journal":{"name":"Biogeochemical Cycles and Climate","volume":"21 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114176459","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Physics of Radiation","authors":"H. Dolman","doi":"10.1093/OSO/9780198779308.003.0004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/OSO/9780198779308.003.0004","url":null,"abstract":"This chapter discusses radiation, radiative transfer and the greenhouse effect. It starts by analysing radiation from a blackbody, identifying the key difference between shortwave radiation from the Sun and longwave radiation from Earth. It then describes the Planck function, which calculates the intensity of radiation emitted by a blackbody; the Stefan–Boltzmann law, which shows how changing the temperature of a blackbody affects the rate at which it emits radiation; Wien’s law, which calculates the wavelength of maximum emission; and Kirchhoff’s law of emission and absorption. These are then used to show the effect of increasing longwave-absorbing gases in the troposphere on the lower tropospheric temperature: the greenhouse gas effect. The chapter then describes the aspects of scattering, emission and absorption that are needed to understand the interaction of radiation with greenhouse gases. The chapter concludes by discussing radiative forcing and showing the current estimate of Earth’s energy balance.","PeriodicalId":305899,"journal":{"name":"Biogeochemical Cycles and Climate","volume":"4 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127236254","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}