Feedbacks
in the Arctic
Sam
Carana
Via
Facebook
As
emissions keep rising, the Gulf Stream will carry ever warmer water
into the Arctic Ocean, resulting in greater melting of the sea ice
and associated albedo changes that in turn accelerate warming in the
Arctic.
As
the temperature difference between the Arctic and the equator
decreases, the jet stream gets more elongated, at times moving all
across the Arctic Ocean. This is another one of a multitude of
feedbacks that contribute to accelerating warming of the Arctic
Ocean.
Another
one of such feedbacks is that warmer water off the coast of North
America will result in stronger winds moving over the North Atlantic
toward the Arctic Ocean. This can also speed up ocean currents, so it
can result in more heat being carried toward the Arctic Ocean both in
the atmosphere and the water.
In
addition, precipitation (rain, snow, hail, fog, etc.) can be
important. Precipitation can further contribute to expansion of the
cold freshwater lid over the North Atlantic that prevents heat
transfer to the atmosphere from water on its way to the Arctic Ocean.
Such
feedbacks can dramatically accelerate warming of Arctic Ocean,
resulting in heat destabilizing sediments that can contain huge
amounts of methane.
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