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Global warming and the growth of ice sheets

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Abstract

Recent research has suggested that warmer conditions, that may result from increased levels of CO2 in the atmosphere, may induce the growth of the Northern Hemisphere ice sheets (Miller and de Vernal 1992) through the impact of warmer temperature on the water carrying capacity of the atmosphere and thus on precipitation. In this study we examine this possibility by using a coupled energy balance climate-thermo-dynamic sea ice model. Results indicate that if summer ice albedo is high enough, and there is some mechanism for initially maintaining ice through the summer season, then it may be possible to have ice sheet growth under the conditions of CO2 induced warming.

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Ledley, T.S., Chu, S. Global warming and the growth of ice sheets. Climate Dynamics 9, 213–219 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00208253

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00208253

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