Energetics of the Climate System
Description
Energetics of the Climate System is derived from a course taught by Hervé Le Treut, who has been delivering this lecture series for decades to students at institutions such as the École Normale Supérieure, École Polytechnique, and Sorbonne University, along with students from other international institutions. This book offers a comprehensive understanding of the intricate energetics driving the Earth's climate system.
The goal was not only to capture the depth and complexity of this subject, but also to preserve the pedagogical brilliance and unique storytelling style of Hervé Le Treut. This work stands as both a tribute to his remarkable contributions and a reflection of his passion for teaching, having mentored generations of climatologists, engineers, and economists, many of whom - including the co-author Mounia Mostefaoui - have greatly benefited from his guidance.
The text retains elements of an oral presentation to evoke the professor's distinctive voice and teaching approach. The book is structured into five chapters, each independent and deeply interconnected, and is complemented by an appendix of exercises to reinforce its material.
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Persons
Hervé Le Treut worked as IPSL Director for IPCC between 2008 and 2019. He built his internationally recognized research career at Polytechnique, Sorbonne University and ENS, France. He co-created AcclimaTerra and received several distinctions. He is a knight of the Legion of Honor.
Mounia Mostefaoui graduated from Polytechnique and completed her PhD in physics of climate change at LMD-IPSL, France. Her advisors were Hervé Le Treut and Philippe Ciais. She was Expert Reviewer for the AR6 IPCC report and participated in several COPs as a speaker in the IPCC Pavilion.
Content
Preface ix
Chapter 1 A Description of the Main Constraints Regulating the Earth Climate 1
1.1 Generalities about the atmosphere and the ocean 1
1.1.1 The atmosphere 4
1.1.2 A brief comparison between some oceans and the atmosphere's main orders of magnitude 9
1.2 A global view of radiative processes 9
1.3 Past climate history 18
1.4 A global evaluation of climate stability 32
1.4.1 Let us consider the first term of equation [1.8] 33
1.4.2 Let us consider the second term of equation [1.8] 37
1.4.3 A global estimate of climate stability considering another source of complexity: the greenhouse effect 43
1.5 Conclusion 47
Chapter 2 The Vertical Dimension of the Energy Processes of the Climate System: Radiative Processes and Radiative-Convective Models 49
2.1 Radiative processes: generalities 50
2.2 Absorption and greenhouse effect 52
2.3 The role of convection 62
2.3.1 Where does the - F ± comes from? 64
2.4 Diffusion of solar radiation 78
Chapter 3 The Horizontal Motion of Atmospheric and Oceanic Transport 93
3.1 Energy budget at the top of the atmosphere 93
3.2 Energy exchanges with the surface 98
3.3 Transport by the atmosphere and the ocean 113
3.4 Vertical and horizontal transports: the links 117
3.4.1 What is stable stratification? 124
3.5 Conclusion 141
Chapter 4 A Transition from Quasi-Equilibrium to Forcing from Anthropogenic Source: A Cartography of Predictable Phenomena, Uncertainties and Feedback Related to the Climate Response to Anthropogenic Disturbance 143
4.1 A transitory evolution 144
4.1.1 Presentation of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and its missions 147
4.1.2 A focus on IPCC productions 148
4.1.3 Examples of IPCC production impacts 150
4.1.4 Complexity, a main feature of the Earth climate system transitory evolution 151
4.2 Global temperature change and the role of feedbacks 178
4.2.1. About models' uncertainties and radiative forcing associated with CO 2 185
4.2.2 The water vapor feedback 188
4.2.3 The albedo feedback 189
4.2.4 The cloud feedback 190
4.2.5 The lapse-rate feedback 192
4.3 Measured and anticipated impacts: what is predictable? 197
4.3.1 Three generations of model assessments directed toward climate change 198
4.3.2 Socio-economic pathways (SSP) in AR6 205
4.3.3. Articulation between SSP scenarios from AR 6 and RCP scenarios from AR5 207
4.3.4 As for the most probable trajectory currently followed 210
4.3.5 Main novelties for the seventh IPCC Assessment Report 213
4.3.6 Method for the evaluation of a probability in IPCC reports 214
Chapter 5 From Scientific Diagnostic to Decision-Making 235
5.1 The role of uncertainties on assessing global warming, accounting for natural variability and estimating climate impacts 236
5.1.1 Process studies and uncertainties 260
5.1.2 From natural variability to climate impacts 279
5.1.3 Zoom about uncertainties and the IPCC 281
5.1.4 Process of uncertainty evaluations by the IPCC as detailed in the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) 283
5.1.5 Process of uncertainty evaluations by the IPCC as detailed in the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) 287
5.1.6 Method for the evaluation of a probability in IPCC reports 289
5.2 From global to local climate features: a key shift for the interaction between science and decision-making 290
5.3 From scientific diagnosis to political decision-making 300
5.4 A word of conclusion 301
Appendix 303
References 327
List of Authors 339
Index 341
