In:
Earth System Science Data, Copernicus GmbH, Vol. 14, No. 1 ( 2022-01-26), p. 229-249
Abstract:
Abstract. The Earth energy imbalance (EEI) at the top of the
atmosphere is responsible for the accumulation of heat in the climate
system. Monitoring the EEI is therefore necessary to better understand the
Earth's warming climate. Measuring the EEI is challenging as it is a
globally integrated variable whose variations are small (0.5–1 W m−2)
compared to the amount of energy entering and leaving the climate system
(∼340 W m−2). Since the ocean absorbs more than 90 %
of the excess energy stored by the Earth system, estimating the ocean heat
content (OHC) change provides an accurate proxy of the EEI. This study
provides a space geodetic estimation of the OHC changes at global and
regional scales based on the combination of space altimetry and space
gravimetry measurements. From this estimate, the global variations in the
EEI are derived with realistic estimates of its uncertainty. The mean EEI
value is estimated at +0.74±0.22 W m−2 (90 % confidence
level) between August 2002 and August 2016. Comparisons against estimates
based on Argo data and on CERES measurements show good agreement within the
error bars of the global mean and the time variations in EEI. Further
improvements are needed to reduce uncertainties and to improve the time
series, especially at interannual timescales. The space geodetic OHC-EEI
product (version 2.1) is freely available at
https://doi.org/10.24400/527896/a01-2020.003 (Magellium/LEGOS, 2020).
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
1866-3516
DOI:
10.5194/essd-14-229-2022
Language:
English
Publisher:
Copernicus GmbH
Publication Date:
2022
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2475469-9
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