Testing the robustness of the anthropogenic climate change detection statements using different empirical models

Imbers, J., Lopez, A., Huntingford, C. and Allen, M. R. (2013) Testing the robustness of the anthropogenic climate change detection statements using different empirical models. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 118 (8). pp. 3192-3199. ISSN 2169-897X

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Abstract

This paper aims to test the robustness of the detection and attribution of anthropogenic climate change using four different empirical models that were previously developed to explain the observed global mean temperature changes over the last few decades. These studies postulated that the main drivers of these changes included not only the usual natural forcings, such as solar and volcanic, and anthropogenic forcings, such as greenhouse gases and sulfates, but also other known Earth system oscillations such as El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) or the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). In this paper, we consider these signals, or forced responses, and test whether or not the anthropogenic signal can be robustly detected under different assumptions for the internal variability of the climate system. We assume that the internal variability of the global mean surface temperature can be described by simple stochastic models that explore a wide range of plausible temporal autocorrelations, ranging from short memory processes exemplified by an AR(1) model to long memory processes, represented by a fractional differenced model. In all instances, we conclude that human-induced changes to atmospheric gas composition is affecting global mean surface temperature changes.

Item Type:	Article
Official URL:	http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(IS...
Additional Information:	© 2013 American Geophysical Union
Divisions:	Centre for Analysis of Time Series
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences
Date Deposited:	10 Jun 2013 08:27
Last Modified:	14 Sep 2024 05:52
Projects:	KUK-C1-013-04
Funders:	King Abdulah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy, Economic and Social Research Council and Munich Re
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/50702

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