COOLING OF THE MESOSPHERE AND LOWER THERMOSPHERE DUE TO DOUBLING OF CO2

A new parameterization of infrared radiative transfer in the 15-mu m C O2 band has been incorporated into the Spectral mesosphere/lower therm osphere model (SMLTM). The parameterization is applicable to calculati ons of heating rates above approximately 15 km for arbitrary vertical profiles of the CO2 concentration corresponding to the surface mixing ratio in the range 150-720 ppm. The sensitivity of the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) to doubling of CO2 has been studied. The ther mal response in the MLT is mostly negative (cooling) and much stronger than in the lower atmosphere. An average cooling at the stratopause i s about 14 K. It gradually decreases to approximately 8 K in the upper mesosphere and again increases to about 40-50 K in the thermosphere. The cooling and associated thermal shrinking result in a substantial d ensity reduction in the MLT that reaches 40-45% in the thermosphere. V arious radiative, chemical, and dynamical feedbacks potentially import ant for the thermal response in the MLT are discussed. It is noted tha t the results of simulations are strikingly similar to observations of long-term trends in the MLT. This suggests that during the last 3-4 d ecades the thermal structure in the real upper atmosphere has undergon e substantial changes driven by forcing comparable with that due to do ubling of CO2.