Aloha and Mele Kalikimaka, Happy New Year!

With reference to many posts on this blog, please see the referenced paper below and the related descriptive posts of that paper.

“Temperature is an intensive property [of matter] that is defined only in equilibrium systems and cannot be meaningfully averaged across non-equilibrium systems.” − Cohler, 2025

As the papers and descriptions below explain, since there is no global average temperature, nor is there a global average sea surface temperature (SST), thus there is no global average CO2 concentration, methane concentration, nitrous oxide concentration, nor global average concentration of any other “greenhouse gas”. 

Intensive property of matter definition and examples:

Intensive property of matter: A physical property that does not depend on the amount or size of the sample. Its value remains the same regardless of how much matter is present.

Common examples:

• Temperature — A cup of water or a swimming pool full of water at the same temperature both have identical temperature values.
• Density — Pure gold has a density of about 19.3 g/cm³, whether it’s a small nugget or a large bar.
• Boiling point — Water boils at 100°C (at standard pressure) regardless of the quantity.
• Melting point — Ice melts at 0°C no matter the volume.
• Color, refractive index, and conductivity — These are characteristic of the substance itself, not its quantity.
• The Henry’s Law constant (aka co-efficient or partition ratio) — At a given temperature, the ratio: a/b:
  • Where a = concentration or amount of a trace, unreacted gas in a liquid surface matrix,
  • Where b = concentration or amount of the same gas in the head space or gas phase matrix or atmosphere above and in contact with the liquid surface,
  • the resulting ratio a/b is the Henry’s Law constant for the specified gas and liquid and surface interface temperature. 
  • Adding or subtracting more gas to the headspace or to the liquid does not change the Henry’s Law partition ratio at the specified temperature.  The ratio is an intensive property of matter. 
  • Why?  Because the diffusion rate of any gas within a gas, liquid, or solid matrix is a function of the molecular weight of the gas.  The molecular weight of any gas is by definition a constant.  Many industries depend on this.
  • In other words (although it may seem counter-intuitive), adding CO2 gas to the atmosphere does not increase (except momentarily) the concentration of CO2 gas in the atmosphere.  Why?  When the gas concentration (or partial pressure of the gas) increases, it is offset by an equal increase in solubility of that gas in all liquids with which it is in contact until the equilibrium ratio is restored.  This law holds for all known trace, unreacted gases and all known liquids in the range of earth’s temperatures and pressures.

In contrast, extensive properties of matter (like mass or volume) scale with the amount of matter.

As demonstrated in the following articles, since there cannot be a global average temperature, then also there cannot be a global average CO2 concentration (nor any other trace gas.)

Regards,

Bud Bromley

Holualoa

Subject: Global Mean Temperature Might Be a Mathematical Illusion, New Research Suggests

A 2007 math proofs study that asserted a global mean temperature does not exist in reality (because a temperature average can only be defined in equilibrium systems) has never been disproved. [emphasis, links added] Read on blog or Reader Climate Change Dispatch Read on blog or Reader Global Mean Temperature Might Be a Mathematical Illusion, New Research Suggests Dec 15, 2025 A 2007 math proofs study that asserted a global mean temperature does not exist in reality (because a temperature average can only be defined in equilibrium systems) has never been disproved. [emphasis, links added]   Continue reading Comment

Meridional Distributions of Historical Zonal Averages and Their Use to Quantify the Global and Spheroidal Mean Near-Surface Temperature of the Terrestrial Atmosphere
Gerhard Kramm1, Martina Berger2, Ralph Dlugi2, Nicole Mölders3.

https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation?paperid=98786