COMMENT ON "FALSIFICATION OF THE ATMOSPHERIC CO2 GREENHOUSE EFFECTS WITHIN THE FRAME OF PHYSICS"

In this journal, Gerhard Gerlich and Ralf D. Tscheuschner claim to have falsified the existence of an atmospheric greenhouse effect.1 Here, we show that their methods, logic, and conclusions are in error. Their most significant errors include trying to apply the Clausius statement of the Second Law of Thermodynamics to only one side of a heat transfer process rather than the entire process, and systematically ignoring most non-radiative heat flows applicable to the Earth's surface and atmosphere. They claim that radiative heat transfer from a colder atmosphere to a warmer surface is forbidden, ignoring the larger transfer in the other direction which makes the complete process allowed. Further, by ignoring heat capacity and non-radiative heat flows, they claim that radiative balance requires that the surface cool by 100 K or more at night, an obvious absurdity induced by an unphysical assumption. This comment concentrates on these two major points, while also taking note of some of Gerlich and Tscheuschner's other errors and misunderstandings.

The Sheeted Dike Layer of the Betts Cove Ophiolite Complex does not Represent Spreading

Dikes of the sheeted dike layer are conspicuously chilled against the underlying mafic and layered ultramafic rocks, indicating that the older rocks were relatively cool when the dikes were intruded. Cool mafic rocks could spread only by brittle fracture and infilling by dike material. Near-surface, cool ultramafic rocks could spread by brittle fracture or, possibly, by plastic deformation. The absence of significant infilling, and the preservation of cumulate textures in the extensive layering indicate that spreading did not take place.