Thermodynamic Constraints to Climate Change: Does Carnot Work Increasing Entropy Provide Resilience?
A special issue of Entropy (ISSN 1099-4300). This special issue belongs to the section "Thermodynamics".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 603
Editors
Interests: action/statistical mechanics; environmental chemistry; Gibbs energy
Interests: environmental chemistry; molecular sensing; catalytic transition states; energy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: control theory; artificial intelligence; physics; climate; system identification; Kalman filtering; modeling and simulation
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
For this Special Issue of Entropy, we request submissions on filling thermodynamic gaps in climate science. No thermodynamic model of global warming is favoured, but any testable predictions of non-equilibrium thermodynamics for the control of climate are welcome. The thermal figure below provides a framework for local greenhouse warming and the elevation of the troposphere.
An entropy-increasing dissipative Carnot cycle (updated from Kennedy et al. 2025 Thermo 5, 25 https://doi.org/10.3390/thermo5030025) operating from a hot source via the absorption of shortwave quanta (ca. 6000 K) and emission to a colder sink in space through outgoing longwave quanta emitted at 255 K from the tropopause. This scheme incorporates the radiative Kiehl–Trenberth power budget shown with arrows indicating directions of net energy flow.
We seek articles that introduce new methods or processes to mitigate serious climate change, focusing on the atmosphere, as well as water on land, in seas, and in all components of the ecosphere. The following diverse topics with questions are proposed as possible subjects for submissions:
- Action mechanics provides a least-action quantum approach to estimate entropy and absolute Gibbs energy for atmospheric gas molecules. How do the well-known properties of molecules such as mass, bond length and enthalpy, symmetry and degrees of freedom of motion affect the estimation of entropy and Gibbs energy governing chemical reactivity?
- How is the relationship between the surface temperature and the height of the troposphere controlled? Is this by the virial theorem and does this affect the radiative forcing by increasing greenhouse gases?
- Extreme weather is dominated by variable phase states of water, contrasting with the relatively uniform activity of CO2 at all altitudes and latitudes. Are there selective effects on relative emissions of longwave quanta to space by water vapour versus other greenhouse gases?
- Thermodynamic constraints are important for alternative energy sources to replace carbon-based fossil fuels. Can the high energy cost for green H2 from the electrolysis of water be overcome from other sources such as ammonia?
- The comparative thermodynamics for reactions of CO2 assimilation may limit possible beneficial industrial products. Can you suggest reductive processes using CO2 as feedstock?
- Does the fact that warmer temperatures favour calcification in surface seawater acidifying the mixing zone cause atmospheric pCO2 to increase?
- Action mechanics in the troposphere (https://doi.org/10.3390/applmech4020037) can be extended to higher degrees of freedom such as in vortical action in anticyclones and cyclones. The path of least action is a function of Gibbs quantum fields that generate the molecular vis viva and kinetic energy. Can this be modelled in dissipative forms of Lagrangians sustained by heat inflows?
- A new interface between Maxwellian fields of electromagnetism and Gibbs energy fields derived from action mechanics may also be a good area to explore. Capacitance (1/r), voltage (m0.5r0.5ω), and charge (m1.5r0.5ω) have the dimensional analogues in classical physics of radius inverted, the square root of force, and charge is radius by the square root of force, their overall product yielding energy (mr2ω2). Is there a role for these dimensionally truncated properties to be applied in climate science such as in intensity of storms and convective rainfall?
Efficient energy conversions and storage technologies such as heat pumps, hydrogen fuel cells, metal–air batteries and concentrated solar power such as the Lovegrove reversible Haber process are also of interest. Tropical cyclones, tornadoes and anticyclones all have features that can be related to climate trends, often considered over 30 years in one direction to be classified as change rather than within the normal range of variation. Thus, regarding the increasing Keeling curve for pCO2 and the trend in temperature since 1970, an increase in the height of the snow line in the same period fits this description.
A successful Special Issue will provide new information regarding the causes of warming and changes in warming factors. This information will be useful in designing more sustainable systems.
Prof. Dr. Ivan Kennedy
Dr. James Chapman
Prof. Dr. Migdat Hodzic
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- thermodynamics
- climate change
- Gibbs energy
- statistical mechanics
- environmental chemistry
- quantum field theory
- climate science
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