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Ice-albedo feedback in a CO2-doubling simulation

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Abstract

We estimate the feedback of sea-ice change to the warming from CO2-doubling according to the simulation of Washington and Meehl (1984). Without ice-snow albedo feedback, their global warming of 3.5 °C would have been 2.2. °C according to our estimate of the ice-snow feedback. About 80% of the albedo change from ice and snow occurred in the Southern Hemisphere. Whether this change was an overestimate will require further study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Center for Atmospheric Research, 80307, Boulder, CO, U.S.A.

    Robert E. Dickinson, Gerald A. Meehl & Warren M. Washington

Authors
  1. Robert E. Dickinson
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  2. Gerald A. Meehl
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  3. Warren M. Washington
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The National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

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Dickinson, R.E., Meehl, G.A. & Washington, W.M. Ice-albedo feedback in a CO2-doubling simulation. Climatic Change 10, 241–248 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00143904

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00143904

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