Location
Center for Undergraduate Education (CUE)
NE Troy Lane,
Pullman, WA 99164



United States

Categories

• onsite

Registration Link

About the event

SPEAKER: Charlie Brown, Voiland School Alumni, Washington State University

BIOGRAPHY:

Charlie Brown, is a retired Chemical Engineer (P.E.) with a keen interest in the science of global warming.  He received his chemical engineering degree from Washington State University (BS, 1973) and his engineering degree with emphasis in environmental from the University of Washington (MS, 1982).  His career included process engineering and process design work in petroleum refining (BP, VECO), air pollution control and regulations (Radian), aluminum production (Kaiser), and nuclear power reactor support systems (General Atomic).  He has been an Instructor for “Designing Air Pollution Control Equipment” for AIChE Education, a previous Director of the Environmental Division, past Chair for the Puget Sound Local Section, and is the current Chair for the AIChE’s Virtual Local Section.  Charlie began studying the mechanism of global warming a few years ago and found the technical aspects to be fascinating.

ABSTRACT:

An atmospheric radiation model will be introduced and used to Illustrate the technical details of the mechanism for global warming.  Fundamental principles of the global energy balance, radiant energy transfer, and the atmosphere will be applied.  The MILIA (MODTRAN Infrared Light in the Atmosphere) model will be used to demonstrate the effect of increasing greenhouse gas concentrations, the power of methane as a greenhouse gas, and the role of water vapor as a positive feedback that enhances the warming effect.  This model is a free, easy-to-use, educational tool available online.  It is based on a commercial version of the MODTRAN® model which is more flexible and better suited for research purposes.

The essential role of the cold upper atmosphere is to reduce the emittance of radiant energy at specific wavelengths unique to individual gases.  By Kirchhoff’s Law, emittance equals absorptance at thermal equilibrium.  However, increasing greenhouse gas concentration upsets the steady state energy balance by reducing energy loss to space.