For those who have been following recent comments between Gavin Schmidt and myself (see), one suggestion he made was to contact specific colleagues of his. These scientists are Surabi Menon, Dorothy Koch, Ron Miller and Jim Jimsen.
The copy of the e-mail that I have sent on August 2, 2007 follows:
“Hi All
As result of a discussion on my weblog Climate Science, Gavin gave me your e-mails to contact you on research you that you are doing that addresses the issue that we quantified in our paper
Matsui, T., and R.A. Pielke Sr., 2006: Measurement-based estimation of the spatial gradient of aerosol radiative forcing. Geophys. Res. Letts., 33, L11813, doi:10.1029/2006GL025974. http://www.climatesci.org/publications/pdf/R-312.pdf
This issue was also emphasized in
National Research Council, 2005: Radiative forcing of climate change:
Expanding the concept and addressing uncertainties. Committee on Radiative
Forcing Effects on Climate Change, Climate Research Committee, Board on
Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, Division on Earth and Life Studies, The
National Academies Press, Washington, D.C., 208 pp.
http://www.nap.edu/openbook/0309095069/html/
The fundamental hypothesis is that the more spatially heterogeneous human climate forcings, such as from land use/land cover change and aerosols, have as much, or more, of an effect in altering regional weather (and other aspects of climate), than does the more spatially homogenous effect of the radiative effect of added CO2 and other well-mixed greenhouse gases. This issue, which was reported in the 2005 NRC Report, was not explored by the 2007 IPCC Report in the format such as we present in the Matsui and Pielke paper, where it is the gradient of radiative forcing that needs to be quantified, in addition to the top-of-the-atmosphere radiative forcing.
This analysis, which you have data already available to assess, would significantly broaden the role of human climate forcings as they affect regional and global climate.
Sincerely
Roger A. Pielke Sr.
