Quantifying climate feedbacks in polar regions

• Published in: Nature Communications
• Main Authors: Goosse, Hugues, Kay, Jennifer E., Armour, Kyle C., Bodas-Salcedo, Alejandro, Chepfer, Helene, Docquier, David, Jonko, Alexandra, Kushner, Paul J., Lecomte, Olivier, Massonnet, Francois, Park, Hyo-Seok, Pithan, Felix, Svensson, Gunilla, Vancoppenolle, Martin
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2023
• Subjects: 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1438357; https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1438357; https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-04173-0

The concept of feedback is key in assessing whether a perturbation to a system is amplified or damped by mechanisms internal to the system. In polar regions, climate dynamics are controlled by both radiative and non-radiative interactions between the atmosphere, ocean, sea ice, ice sheets and land surfaces. Precisely quantifying polar feedbacks is required for a process-oriented evaluation of climate models, a clear understanding of the processes responsible for polar climate changes, and a reduction in uncertainty associated with model projections. This quantification can be performed using a simple and consistent approach that is valid for a wide range of feedbacks, thus offering the opportunity for more systematic feedback analyses and a better understanding of polar climate changes.