Quantifying climate feedbacks in polar regions

• Published in: Nature Communications
• Main Authors: Goosse, H., Kay, J.E., Armour, K.C., Bodas-Salcedo, A., Chepfer, H., Docquier, D., Jonko, A., Kushner, P.J., Lecomte, O., Massonnet, F., Park, H.-S., Pithan, F., Svensson, G., Vancoppenolle, M.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: Sea ice
• Online Access: https://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/313766.pdf

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, offering the opportunity for more systematic feedback analyses and a better understanding of polar climate changes.