THE link between greenhouse gases and global warming has been measured
directly for the first time. John Harries and his colleagues at Imperial
College, London, looked at satellite data showing the Earth’s infrared spectrum
in 1970 and in 1997 (Nature, vol 410, p 355). They say that differences
in the amount of heat reflected from the planet can only be explained by
greenhouse gases—specifically carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, and CFCs.
“Before, the only thing that showed the connection was models,” says Harries.
“This is a real observation.” Surprisingly, the change caused by methane was 30
per cent greater than they expected.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
91ɫÇéƬ
Less than 4 minutes of vigorous exercise a day could halve your dementia risk
News
91ɫÇéƬ
Parkinson’s may be driven by ‘vicious cycle’ that disrupts brain waste drainage
News
Space
Hubble Space Telescope is falling to Earth – should NASA save it?
News
Space
A robot called GIMLI will explore a lunar cave for a future moon base
91ɫÇéƬ
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles