The influence of the albedo-temperature feed-back on climate sensitivity

Abstract

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. The climate variability induced by the various elements of the albedo-temperature (eg 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. -from Authors