Climate sensitivity from radiative-convective equilibrium: A chalkboard approach

Simple models for Earth's climate sensitivity (i.e. its temperature response to radiative forcing) are developed by combining the time-tested idealization of one-dimensional radiative-convective equilibrium (RCE) with simple yet quantitatively reasonable CO2 forcing and water vapor feedback. Along way, we introduce key paradigms including emission level approximation, forcing-feedback decomposition sensitivity, “Simpson's law” thermal emission. We also discuss feedbacks unaccounted in this RCE framework, as well differing variants all which may be ripe their own chalkboard treatments.