[NormsRevenge]

Layers of Earth's upper atmosphere. Credit: John Emmert/NRL

[Intolerant in NJ]

"Something is going on that we do not understand," Emmert said....and yet they can predict what the earth's average temperature will be to the nearest hundredth of a degree fifty years from now.........

[Beowulf9]

Wonder if that big solar eruption back in April would affect the atmosphere now?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1267943/Nasa-Solar-Dynamics-Observatory-shows-Sun-youve-seen-it.html

[Captain Beyond]

Possible Catastrophe ping

[calex59]

We’re doomed and we are all going to die!

[bastantebueno55]

Obama: I inherited this!

[Earthdweller]

The little messiah played around and earth momma had an crude reaction contraction.

[JRios1968]

An upper layer of Earth's atmosphere recently collapsed in an unexpectedly large contraction...

Kinda like the economy under 0bambi...

[Windflier]

Sounds like “Climate Change” to me. No doubt about it. Kill your SUV. NOW.

[enduserindy]

“This gas acts as a coolant, shedding heat via infrared radiation. It is widely-known that CO2 levels have been increasing in Earth’s atmosphere. Extra CO2 in the thermosphere could have magnified the cooling action of solar minimum.”

Ah crap here we go again.

[Talisker]

The collapse occurred during a period of relative solar inactivity – called a solar minimum from 2008 to 2009. These minimums are known to cool and contract the thermosphere, however, the recent collapse was two to three times greater than low solar activity could explain. "Something is going on that we do not understand," Emmert said.

Yeah, it's a complete freekin' mystery.

[EdReform]

bookmark

[snowsislander]

Emmert suggests carbon dioxide (CO2) in the thermosphere might play a role in explaining the atmospheric collapse.

This gas acts as a coolant, shedding heat via infrared radiation. It is widely-known that CO2 levels have been increasing in Earth's atmosphere. Extra CO2 in the thermosphere could have magnified the cooling action of solar minimum.

Cooling? Haven't the AGW people spent years shouting that carbon dioxide causes warming, not cooling?

[norwaypinesavage]

"Emmert suggests carbon dioxide (CO2) in the thermosphere might play a role in explaining the atmospheric collapse..."But the numbers don't quite add up," Emmert said. "Even when we take CO2 into account using our best understanding of how it operates as a coolant, we cannot fully explain the thermosphere's collapse."

So this babbling fool blames CO2 even though his own analysis shows it isn't CO2. Calling Algore, calling Algore.....We have another idiot for your team.

[Errant]

“I really like how they still try to blame CO2,” says Jason. “I thought
CO2 was supposed to act like a blanket not a coolant?”

“I guess there must be a link to this atmospheres collapse and the
inactivity of our sun,” says John. “But it can’t be? We have been
told there is no link to our sun and the heating of our atmosphere!”

“Wow, they CAN have it both ways,” says Troy. “CO2 heats up the
earth’s atmosphere AND cools the thermosphere by radiating back
into space the suns output ......... Hmmmmm, imagine that........have
your cake and eat it too”

“I also thought C02 is heavier that air, (At standard temperature and
pressure, the density of carbon dioxide is around 1.98 kg/m3, about
1.5 times that of air- source Wikipedia)

“Hmmmmmm...........so, if I have this right from NASA, CO2 FLOATS up
to the uppermost part of the atmosphere even though it IS HEAVIER
THAN AIR AT SEA LEVEL, where it cools by absorbing incoming sun
heat and getting bumped into giving off radiation to space, ( I like
how it always radiates into space like a molecular aligned blocking
blanket in this explanation from NASA ), while if it is in the lower
atmosphere it absorbs radiation and gets bumped into giving off
HEAT.......Man, CO2 is the most amazing molecule ever.

“It defies gravity, chemistry and physics all at the same time?
Amazing.......... :)”

Troy A. Della Fiora