Feedbacks and Interactions: From the Arctic Cryosphere to the Climate System

ABSTRACT: Changes in the Arctic’s climate are a result of complex interactions between the cryosphere, atmosphere, ocean, and biosphere. More feedbacks from the cryosphere to climate warming are positive and result in further warming than are negative, resulting in a reduced rate of warming or cooling. Feedbacks operate at different spatial scales; many, such as those operating through albedo and evapotranspiration, will have significant local effects that together could result in global impacts. Some processes, such as changes in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, are likely to have very small global effects but uncertainty is high whereas others, such as subsea methane (CH4) emissions, could have large global effects. Some cryospheric processes in the Arctic have teleconnections with other regions an

SUBMITTER: Callaghan T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3357779 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature