Comments on: Earth’s Albedo Tells an Interesting Story

By: Solar Winds Cooling Warmist Doomsaying « An Honest Climate Debate

Solar Winds Cooling Warmist Doomsaying « An Honest Climate Debate — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 11:26:40 +0000

[...] cool year? According to Anthony Watts, the Earth`s albedo reached a nadir in 1997, and has risen sharply since. Is this related to the weakening of solar activity? We`ve seen few sunspots in Solar Cycle [...]

By: Ranger Joe

Ranger Joe — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 15:14:44 +0000

What is the current data on grey snow from soot deposition on the polar cap? Isn’t there a measurable reduction in albedo that would increase absorption and accelerate snowmelt? I see China’s official ‘Polar Climatologist’ Dr. Rebecca Lee (actually a PLA graphic artist) stating that Global Cooling is a direct consequence of Global Warming! They’re using their clever ‘Jedi mind tricks’ to deflect the blame on their infamous ‘Brown Cloud’ as a contributor to climate change. Perhaps their ‘alleged’ $300 mil investment in Al Gore’s $5 bill global green fund is albedo increasing whitewash reflecting back the shaming gaze of a watching world.

By: Timothy Birdnow » The Cooling Winds

Timothy Birdnow » The Cooling Winds — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 13:18:15 +0000

[...] unusually cool year? According to Anthony Watts, the Earth`s albedo reached a nadir in 1997, and has risen sharply since. Is this related to the weakening of solar activity? We`ve seen few sunspots in Solar Cycle [...]

By: Celebrity Paycut - Encouraging celebrities all over the world to save us from global warming by taking a paycut.

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:04:59 +0000

[...] The Big Bear Solar Observatory’s Earthshine is an attempt to study changes in Earth’s albedo (reflectivity)…http://wattsupwiththat.wordpress.com/2007/10/17/earths-albedo-tells-a-interesting-story/ [...]

By: Joel Raupe

Joel Raupe — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 05:01:55 +0000

Yes the laser reflector data does show Earth’s Moon increasing in overall distance, about 3 inches per century.

By: cdquarles

cdquarles — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 02:30:00 +0000

@henry, No, the Earth-Moon distance doesn't stay relatively stable. The distance is increasing, and this has been measured by laser (Apollo missions left mirrors on the moon just for this purpose). See this article or search for "Tidal Recession Earth Moon".

By: SSSailor

SSSailor — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 14:33:31 +0000

For those of you who are interested;

A reasonably good site for Cosmic Ray trends is available here. http://cr0.izmiran.rssi.ru/mosc/main.htm

The Oceans are the local “flywheel” for Earth bound climate variations and current graphics of the respective temperature conditions is represented here,
http://weather.unisys.com/surface/sst_anom.html
And here,
http://weather.unisys.com/surface/sst.html

By: henry

henry — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 18:54:19 +0000

It’s too bad we can’t come with a way to use the most stable satellite base we have: the moon.

If we could launch a probe, set it to face the earth, and take continuous pictures, unhampered by cloud, atmosphere, and pollution problems.

It would see the entire face, all 360 degrees, and radio that data back to earth.

By: SteveSadlov

SteveSadlov — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 18:45:57 +0000

RE: 20071018 – (10:00:34)

I would add that inevitably, the Earth based telescope – earthshine measurement integrates everything reaching that part of the moon from that side of the earth, and would also tend to filter out higher frequency noise. Sounds pretty good to me!

By: wattsupwiththat

wattsupwiththat — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 18:15:51 +0000

Chris I read the short paper from CERES, and it seems that they have a point. It appears that seasonal and angular variations aren’t well considered in the BBSO data.

I’ll check a couple of other sources to see how the CERES critique holds up.

By: wattsupwiththat

wattsupwiththat — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 17:39:20 +0000

Oh wait, let me amend “It’s one of the few things, perhaps the only thing, that Gore came up with that I agree with.”

After looking at the DSCOVR mission page
http://science.hq.nasa.gov/missions/satellite_53.htm

I see a design life listed of only TWO YEARS! Jeez, comm satellites have longer lives than that and do a lot more.

A two year albedo plot does not a trend make, no matter how accurate. I’m really surprised at such a short life span. It seems almost pointless to launch it then.

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 17:30:02 +0000

You mean besides the internet?

By: wattsupwiththat

wattsupwiththat — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 17:25:35 +0000

This albedo question is all the more reason to get the Triana satellite out of storage and launched to it’s L1 point.

It’s one of the few things, perhaps the only thing, that Gore came up with that I agree with.

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triana_%28satellite%29

and its official NASA page: http://science.hq.nasa.gov/missions/satellite_53.htm

By: henry

henry — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 17:21:48 +0000

Some of the problems between surface readings and satellite readings were mentioned in some of the stuff I’ve browsed.

1. Surface readings limited by view (cloud cover, moon phase, etc) and satellites not effected.

2. Satellites get a “spot” or swath of an area, while the surface readings get more of a “global” reading.

3. It could be a carry-over “error” like the one that affected the satellite temp readings: they forgot to take into account orbital decay (apogee/perogee). Earth-to-moon distance stays relatively stable, doesn’t it?

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 17:14:45 +0000

Thanks for the insight. When Googling, I came across a presentation which attempts to explain the difference. It seems a bit one-sided in criticizing the Earthshine methodology without considering the flaws of satellite measurements.

http://asd-www.larc.nasa.gov/ceres/STM/2005_05/loeb_earthshine.pdf

I guess that’s our tax dollars at work. By the way, NASA has also made outlandish predictions for solar cycle 24.