Why the Real Atmosphere Has More Energy than Climate Models: Implications for Ground-Based Telescopes
The calculation of Gibbs free energy via the statistical multifractal analysis of airborne observations indicates that the atmosphere is not at local thermodynamic equilibrium. Both climate models and meteorological analyses assume that it is. Satellite retrievals use spectroscopic data taken at equ...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Atmosphere |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/16/1/56 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832589143162486784 |
|---|---|
| author | Adrian F. Tuck |
| author_facet | Adrian F. Tuck |
| author_sort | Adrian F. Tuck |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The calculation of Gibbs free energy via the statistical multifractal analysis of airborne observations indicates that the atmosphere is not at local thermodynamic equilibrium. Both climate models and meteorological analyses assume that it is. Satellite retrievals use spectroscopic data taken at equilibrium in laboratories, leading to apparent consistency that is to some degree faulty. Line shapes of radiatively active species, the rotational energy of molecular nitrogen and oxygen, and the translational energy of all molecules are involved, resulting in less energy in models than exists in the real atmosphere. The resulting formulation of turbulence is from the smallest scales up and has implications for astronomical observation by adaptive optics. Kolmogorov (isotropy) is not evident. The effect of temperature on the overhead water vapour column at ground-based telescopes is also open to the effects of climate change. The degree to which the dynamic operational temperature differs from that obtained by the use of local thermodynamic equilibrium assumptions needs to be established by observational measurements. Some of the considerations will apply to the atmospheres of exoplanets with regard to photochemistry and signatures of life. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c1bc8dfb7cf24cd4b5160965d5a4864f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2073-4433 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmosphere |
| spelling | doaj-art-c1bc8dfb7cf24cd4b5160965d5a4864f2025-01-24T13:21:52ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332025-01-011615610.3390/atmos16010056Why the Real Atmosphere Has More Energy than Climate Models: Implications for Ground-Based TelescopesAdrian F. Tuck0Independent Researcher, Boulder, CO 80303, USAThe calculation of Gibbs free energy via the statistical multifractal analysis of airborne observations indicates that the atmosphere is not at local thermodynamic equilibrium. Both climate models and meteorological analyses assume that it is. Satellite retrievals use spectroscopic data taken at equilibrium in laboratories, leading to apparent consistency that is to some degree faulty. Line shapes of radiatively active species, the rotational energy of molecular nitrogen and oxygen, and the translational energy of all molecules are involved, resulting in less energy in models than exists in the real atmosphere. The resulting formulation of turbulence is from the smallest scales up and has implications for astronomical observation by adaptive optics. Kolmogorov (isotropy) is not evident. The effect of temperature on the overhead water vapour column at ground-based telescopes is also open to the effects of climate change. The degree to which the dynamic operational temperature differs from that obtained by the use of local thermodynamic equilibrium assumptions needs to be established by observational measurements. Some of the considerations will apply to the atmospheres of exoplanets with regard to photochemistry and signatures of life.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/16/1/56statistical multifractalsGibbs free energymolecular velocitiessymmetry breakingturbulenceatmospheric energy |
| spellingShingle | Adrian F. Tuck Why the Real Atmosphere Has More Energy than Climate Models: Implications for Ground-Based Telescopes Atmosphere statistical multifractals Gibbs free energy molecular velocities symmetry breaking turbulence atmospheric energy |
| title | Why the Real Atmosphere Has More Energy than Climate Models: Implications for Ground-Based Telescopes |
| title_full | Why the Real Atmosphere Has More Energy than Climate Models: Implications for Ground-Based Telescopes |
| title_fullStr | Why the Real Atmosphere Has More Energy than Climate Models: Implications for Ground-Based Telescopes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Why the Real Atmosphere Has More Energy than Climate Models: Implications for Ground-Based Telescopes |
| title_short | Why the Real Atmosphere Has More Energy than Climate Models: Implications for Ground-Based Telescopes |
| title_sort | why the real atmosphere has more energy than climate models implications for ground based telescopes |
| topic | statistical multifractals Gibbs free energy molecular velocities symmetry breaking turbulence atmospheric energy |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/16/1/56 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT adrianftuck whytherealatmospherehasmoreenergythanclimatemodelsimplicationsforgroundbasedtelescopes |