How Well Do We Understand and Evaluate Climate Change Feedback Processes?

• DOI: 10.1175/jcli3819.1
• Publication Date: 2006-08-21T20:03:06Z
• Authors: Sandrine Bony; Robert Colman; Vladimir M. Kattsov; Richard P. Allan; Christopher S. Br...; Jean-Louis Dufresne; Alex Hall; Stephane Hallegatte; Marika M. Holland; William Ingram; David A. Randall; Brian J. Soden; George Tselioudis; Mark J. Webb
• Keywords: Climate system; Cloud feedback; Transient climate simulation

Abstract Processes in the climate system that can either amplify or dampen response to an external perturbation are referred as feedbacks. Climate sensitivity estimates depend critically on radiative feedbacks associated with water vapor, lapse rate, clouds, snow, and sea ice, global of these differ among general circulation models. By reviewing recent observational, numerical, theoretical studies, this paper shows there has been progress since Third Assessment Report Intergovernmental Panel Change (i) understanding physical mechanisms involved feedbacks, (ii) interpretation intermodel differences (iii) development methodologies evaluation (or some components) using observations. This suggests continuing developments feedback research will progressively help make it possible constrain GCMs’ range through ensemble diagnostics based