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The faint young sun-climate paradox - Continental influencesWe examine the various mechanisms which have been proposed to compensate for the climatic effects of a 30% increase in the solar luminosity over the past 4 1/2 billion years. Although atmospheric greenhouse effects have received most attention, other mechanisms may have played a role of comparable importance. In particular, we note that the development of continents during the past 2 1/2 billion years could have had a significant secular effect on the atmosphere-ocean heat transport system. As a result, past climates may have been less susceptible to complete freeze-over. A simple energy balance model is used to demonstrate the magnitude of this effect. Because the CO2 greenhouse effect is not the only means of compensating for solar evolution, the faint-young-sun problem should not be used to infer past levels of atmospheric CO2.
Document ID
19820058803
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Endal, A. S.
(Applied Research Corp. Landover, MD, United States)
Schatten, K. H.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Laboratory for Planetary Atmospheres, Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
August 10, 2013
Publication Date
August 20, 1982
Publication Information
Publication: Journal of Geophysical Research
Volume: 87
Subject Category
Geophysics
Accession Number
82A42338
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NSF AST-79-19688
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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