The association of outgoing radiation with variations of precipitation – implications for global warming

We have analyzed 21 years (1984-2004) of ISCCP (International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project) outgoing solar (albedo) and longwave infrared (IR) radiation (often referred to as OLR) on various distance (local to global) and time scales (1 day to decadal). We have studied how the outgoing radiation parameters of IR and albedo change with variations of precipitation from the NOAA-NCEP reanalysis data on a wide variety of space and time scales.

We do not find the expected inhibition of radiation energy loss to space from the extra water vapor and cloud changes which are associated with enhanced precipitation. The expected CO₂ induced extra rainfall may thus not cause the anticipated amounts of future global warming (2-5^oC for a doubling of CO₂) that have been projected by the many GCMs. If this result is further verified by more extensive analysis, then we will have much less global warming than has been projected by the models, the media, the UN, and the many environmental alarmist groups.