KlimaFeedback

KlimaFeedback is a term used in climate science to describe the network of feedback processes that determine how the climate system responds to external forcings, such as greenhouse gas emissions.

In climate theory, feedbacks are mechanisms that amplify or dampen initial perturbations. KlimaFeedback covers well-established pathways (for example, water vapor and ice-albedo feedbacks) as well as more uncertain ones (notably cloud feedback and carbon-cycle feedbacks).

Impact and measurement: Climate models incorporate KlimaFeedbacks to estimate climate sensitivity—the eventual equilibrium warming for a given radiative forcing. Observational data from satellites, weather balloons, ocean probes, and paleoclimate records help constrain the strength of these feedbacks.

Uncertainties and research: Among the greatest uncertainties are cloud-related feedbacks and regional variability, with ongoing research seeking to quantify how feedbacks interact with each other across time scales and climate states.

See also: climate feedback, climate sensitivity, tipping point.