The Greenhouse Péclet Number: Radiative Opacity as Void Condition and the Thermodynamic Inevitability of Climate Drift
Abstract
Formally establishes that the greenhouse effect is a void condition: CO₂ increases IR opacity, making the atmosphere opaque to outgoing radiation and driving heat accumulation via drift-dominated transport. Tipping points (ice-albedo feedback, AMOC shutdown, permafrost thaw) are V* crossings — T4 population amplification cascades with a single dimensionless control parameter Pe. The conjugacy theorem shows climate monitoring and climate intervention compete for the same information budget. Constraint cost (T3) explains why stable climate requires continuous energy input from carbon sinks.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Climate variability and models
Climate Change and Environmental Impact
Earth Systems and Cosmic Evolution
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
- Publication date
- 26 February 2026
- Language
- EN
- Document type
- Preprint