A COMPARISON OF GCM SENSITIVITY TO CHANGES IN CO2 AND SOLAR LUMINOSITY

We evaluate the equilibrium response of the atmospheric climate to a w ide range of systematic variations in carbon dioxide (100 to 1000 ppm) and solar luminosity (+/-5% of today's value) using the NCAR CCM1. Th e quantitative responses of each set of simulations are compared using a formal sensitivity analysis. Although the forcings on the climate a re different, both temporally and spatially, similarities appear in th e climatic response. The results of this analysis have broader implica tions for the use of simulations of past climates as a guide for possi ble future climatic change.