The influence of the albedo-temperature feedback on climate sensitivity

A vertically integrated, zonally averaged energy-balance climate model coupled to a two-dimensional ocean model with prescribed overturning pattern is employed to assess the seasonally and latitudinally varying response of the climate system to changes in radiative forcing. Since the sensitivity of...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Bintanja, R., Oerlemans, J.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 1995
Subjects:
Online Access:https://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/22277
Description
Summary:A vertically integrated, zonally averaged energy-balance climate model coupled to a two-dimensional ocean model with prescribed overturning pattern is employed to assess the seasonally and latitudinally varying response of the climate system to changes in radiative forcing. Since the sensitivity of the climate system depends on its actual state, considerable attention is given to the correct simulation of the important features of the present-day climate (such as surface air temperature, seaice and snow amount and meridional energy transport). The climate variability induced by the various elements of the albedo-temperature (e.g. sea-ice and snow) feed-back is quantified. It appears that the variability caused by sea-ice variations is approximately twice as large as for snow variations.