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From Global Dimming to Brightening – Variations in Solar Radiation A major research development in the field of this session is related to the recent discovery that sunlight at the surface is not stable over time but underwent significant changes over the past decades. This topic has gained significant media attention under the headline "global dimming". More recent studies show, however, that global dimming only lasted up to the mid 1980s, and has no longer been observed therearfter. Rather, a brightening has been noted at widespread observation stations at the surface. This change from dimming to brightening has significant effects on various climate elements, since there is no longer global dimming which counterbalances the greenhouse effect. Therefore after the fade of global dimming, the greenhouse effect has become much more visible, as eg seen in accelerated temperature increases or glacier retreats. Participants:Martin Wild martin.wild@env.ethz.ch |