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Publication Date
12 June 2018

Local Radiative Feedbacks Over the Arctic Based on Observed Short-Term Climate Variations

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Summary

The Arctic has warmed dramatically in recent decades, with temperature increasing at a rate of about twice as fast as the global mean value. This phenomenon, commonly known as Arctic amplification, has been found in the observed and modeled climate changes. Several feedback mechanisms have been shown to contribute to Arctic amplification, but their relative importance is still very uncertain. Here we use a variety of reanalysis and satellite data sets to quantify the Arctic local feedbacks based on short‐term climate variations, evaluate the feedbacks simulated in a global climate model, diagnose the impact of data set choices on the feedback estimates, and identify the sources of main uncertainties. The most disagreement is found in the estimate of cloud feedback. 

Point of Contact
Angeline Pendergrass
Institution(s)
National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)
Funding Program Area(s)
Publication