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Climate feedback

An interaction mechanism between processes in the climate system is called a climate feedback, where the result of one process triggers changes in a second process that influences the initial one.

In detail

The climate system is characterised by strong feedback loops between processes that affect the state of the atmosphere, ocean, and land. A positive feedback intensifies the original process, and a negative feedback reduces it.

A simple example is the ice-albedo positive feedback loop whereby melting snow exposes more dark ground (of lower albedo), which in turn absorbs heat and causes more snow to melt.

  • The modelling used to produce UKCP09 includes more feedbacks than previous UK climate scenarios. A brief overview of some feedbacks that are included is given in Box 1 of the UKCP09 Briefing report.
  • More details about the treatment of feedbacks in UKCP09 are given in Box 2.1 in the UKCP09 Climate change projections report. Table 2.1 provides a list of the feedbacks included, and not included, in the UKCP09 probabilistic projections.

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