Arrhenius Calculates CO2-Driven Warming

Swedish chemist Svante Arrhenius calculated that doubling atmospheric carbon dioxide would raise global surface temperatures by 5 to 6 degrees Celsius. Working at Stockholm University, he used Samuel Langley's lunar infrared measurements to estimate absorption coefficients for CO2 and water vapor across latitude bands and seasons. His model incorporated a water vapor feedback loop, recalculating temperature after accounting for increased humidity from initial warming. The paper appeared in the Philosophical Magazine in April 1896.