An Empirical Model and Evidence for Studies in Global Change

In the present study, an attempt has been made to develop an empirical model and study the empirical aspects of global change by applying the mass energy concept to earth atmosphere system, assuming that the atmosphere is in hydrostatic balance. We also investigated to examine the trends in the Mississippi temperatures for last 100 years. The results of the study pointed out that the global temperature changes due to increasing whole mass of earth atmosphere system for the period 1900-2050. These changes in global warming are due to temperature increases from 0.053oC to 0.84oC. The predicted changes are in good agreement with the observed global warming (IPCC, 1990). The temperature changes due to doubling of CO2 are only 0.02oC by 2050. The Mississippi temperatures showed a positive trend since industrial revolution. The global warming due to temperature changes may be attributed to increasing mass as a whole including green house gases (CO2, water vapor, particulate and other CFC's) and human activity and feedbacks. The main feed backs which have been identified are due to changes in water vapor, sea ice, clouds and oceans.