Monday, June 29, 2026
Science

How carbon dioxide cools the upper atmosphere—and warms Earth below

Even as temperatures rise on Earth's surface and in the lower atmosphere, the planet's upper atmosphere has cooled dramatically. This paradoxical pattern is a well-known sign of humanity's climate impacts—but until now, the underlying physics has remained a mystery.

How carbon dioxide cools the upper atmosphere—and warms Earth below
Image: Phys.org
Even as temperatures rise on Earth's surface and in the lower atmosphere, the planet's upper atmosphere has cooled dramatically. This paradoxical pattern is a well-known sign of humanity's climate impacts—but until now, the underlying physics has remained a mystery.

Originally published at Phys.org

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