What are the the differences and similarities between global dimming and global warming?

Question

What are the the differences and similarities between global dimming and global warming?

Answer 1

Similarities - both can be caused either by humans (CO2 causes warming, aerosols cause dimming or nature (incresed solar output causes warming, volcanic eruptions sending particulates in the air can cause dimming).

Differences - one causes the planet to warm, the other causes it to cool.

Answer 2

The difference is that Global Warming is a THEORY,and global dimming is merely an HYPOTHESIS. There are no similarities.

Answer 3

Both require clouds and particulate matter.Dimming has a more refined particulate spread that blocks the sun while just the opposite is true of warming.Dimming is related to pollution while warming is associated with ghg's.

Answer 4

The similarities between global warming and global dimming can be summed up in a few short sentences. They are both caused by natural phenomenon in the short term and over the longer term by human production of gases and particles in the atmosphere both greenhouse and refractory. They both have a marked effect on the global atmospheric and oceanic environments with resultant severe local effects. They both have a cause based in our civilisations industrialised culture and, it is theorised, that their combined effects caused a masking of the global warming phenomenon for many years. Their differences come down to their modes of operation.

Global warming is caused by heat radiation from the sun in the form of Infra Red radiation. Normally the IR is adsorbed by and heats up the earth during the day, with a lot of the IR falling on the ocean being reflected back into the up atmosphere and out into space. Carbon Dioxide in the air also absorbs some of this IR, turning it into convection heat instead of radiant heat (the CO2 adsorbs the IR radiation which makes them bounce around a lot more than normal, this cause friction with the other air molecules and causes them to heat up too). As the level of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere increase more of the energy that is reflected from the oceans is adsorbed by the atmosphere before getting to the upper atmosphere and into space.

Global dimming on the other hand is caused by particulates in the upper atmosphere that reflect the IR and solar radiation (including light) back out into space before it reach the ground and the Carbon Dioxide in the lower atmosphere. These particles can refract light and IR either by their own properties (i.e. Aluminium Oxide or Titanium Dioxide, both are pigments that make paint white and are known as refractory compounds) or by creating places where crystals of ice can grow which refracts light back into space. Since less radiant energy falls on the earth's surface the planet there is less heat at ground level.

One other thing that they have in common is that they both seem to have no easy solution.

Hope this helps.

Answer 5

global warming is caused by gases with only IR absorption - dimming is caused by gases with absorption in the IR-visible-UV range - Blocking higher energy sunlight from reaching the earth decreasing photosynthesis and the amount of IR sent back to space (decreasing the greenhouse effect) obviously greenhouse gases (global warming) wins out - causing the planet to warm.

Answer 6

they are both climatic events. one warms the other cools. (probably more close to the enhanced greenhouse effect then GW)

both are caused by fossil fuel use and are happening now.

Answer 7

wtf is G dimming