A new study explains why carbon dioxide acts as a heat trap in the lower atmosphere but functions as a radiator in the stratosphere. While CO2 drives global warming at the surface, it simultaneously pushes heat out into space from higher altitudes, leading to a significant cooling effect in the upper atmosphere. Researchers found that the stratosphere has cooled by about 2 degrees Celsius since the mid-1980s. This process, driven by specific infrared wavelengths, serves as a distinct fingerprint of human-induced climate change and helps scientists better understand planetary atmospheres.
