When considering how long it takes for radiative forcing to warm up the planet, it is useful to think about the heat capacity of the climate system, which tells us how many joules are required to raise the temperature by 1 K.

The heat capacity of the climate system comes mainly from the ocean, and we can estimate it to be 6 х 10²⁴ J/K (this means that, if you add 6 х 10²⁴ J to the Earth system, the climate will warm by 1 K).

(a) Imagine you impose a radiative forcing of +2.3 W/m², what rate of warming will result? Express your answer in °C/century.

(b) How does this compare with the actual rate of warming of the Earth?