Seminar

Abstract

My seminar will be two related semi-seminars on outstanding issues in radiative transfer in the solar near-infrared. The first is the role of near-infrared gaseous absorption in the radiative forcing of greenhouse gases. Not only has this received relatively little attention, but there are apparent contradictions in the classic literature that I seek to resolve. The second issue is the characterization of the water vapor continuum in near-infrared window regions - this is (potentially) important for both radiation budget and remote sensing applications. It is my contention that this is the largest single uncertainty in atmospheric spectroscopy affecting the Earth's energy budget (if it is not, then what is?) and yet it has attracted little attention. I will describe our recent research in this area and highlight some of the remaining puzzles in understanding its characteristics.

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Keith Shine is Regius Professor of Meteorology and Climate Science at the University of Reading, where he has worked since 1988 (including spells as Head of Department). He was elected Fellow of the Royal Society, the UK's science academy, in 2009. His research and teaching are broadly in the area of the role of radiative processes in climate and climate change. This work has included extensive interaction with laboratory spectroscopists and metrologists, the development of climate metrics (and their inputs), and the two-way relationship between aviation and climate change.