CO2's Surprising Role in Cooling Stratosphere

By Jordan Kim

Columbia University researchers have finally solved the perplexing climate mystery of why Earth's upper atmosphere is cooling while its surface heats up. They discovered that at higher altitudes, carbon dioxide behaves differently, radiating heat directly into space and accelerating cooling in the stratosphere.

CO2's Surprising Role in Cooling Stratosphere

Researchers at Columbia University have solved the mystery of why Earth's upper atmosphere is cooling while the surface heats up.
According to ScienceDaily, this discovery explains a long-observed climate change phenomenon.
The key finding is that carbon dioxide behaves differently at higher altitudes.
ScienceDaily reports that at these elevated levels, carbon dioxide radiates heat into space.
This process of radiating heat into space accelerates cooling in the stratosphere.
This new understanding provides crucial insight into complex atmospheric dynamics.

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