Non CO2 Greenhouse Gas Warming Will Persist for Longer Than 1,000 Years Abstract: Emissions of a broad range of greenhouse gases of varying lifetimes contribute to global climate change. Carbon dioxide displays exceptional persistence that renders its warming nearly irreversible for more than 1,000 years. Here we show that the warming due to non-CO2 greenhouse gases, although not irreversible, persists notably longer than the anthropogenic changes in the greenhouse gas concentrations themselves.
Solomon et. al,. Persistence of climate changes due to a range of greenhouse gases. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2010 Oct