Publication Abstracts

Cess et al. 1991

Cess, R.D., G.L. Potter, M.-H. Zhang, J.-P. Blanchet, S. Chalita, R. Colman, D.A. Dazlich, A.D. Del Genio, V. Dymnikov, V. Galin, D. Jerrett, E. Keup, A.A. Lacis, H. Le Treut, X.-Z. Liang, J.-F. Mahfouf, B.J. McAvaney, V.P. Meleshko, J.F.B. Mitchell, J.-J. Morcrette, P.M. Norris, D.A. Randall, L. Rikus, E. Roeckner, J.-F. Royer, U. Schlese, D.A. Sheinin, J.M. Slingo, A.P. Sokolov, K.E. Taylor, W.M. Washington, R.T. Wetherald, and I. Yagai, 1991: Interpretation of snow-climate feedback as produced by 17 general circulation models. Science, 253, 888-892, doi:10.1126/science.253.5022.888.

Snow feedback is expected to amplify global warming caused by increasing concentrations of atmospheric greenhouse gases. The conventional explanation is that a warmer Earth will have less snow cover, resulting in a darker planet that absorbs more solar radiation. An intercomparison of 17 general circulation models, for which perturbations of sea surface temperature were used as a surrogate climate change, suggests that this explanation is overly simplistic. The results instead indicate that additional amplification or moderation may be caused both by cloud interactions and longwave radiation. One measure of this net effect of snow feedback was found to differ markedly among the 17 climate models, ranging from weak negative feedback in some models to strong positive feedback in others.

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BibTeX Citation

@article{ce04000r,
  author={Cess, R. D. and Potter, G. L. and Zhang, M.-H. and Blanchet, J.-P. and Chalita, S. and Colman, R. and Dazlich, D. A. and Del Genio, A. D. and Dymnikov, V. and Galin, V. and Jerrett, D. and Keup, E. and Lacis, A. A. and Le Treut, H. and Liang, X.-Z. and Mahfouf, J.-F. and McAvaney, B. J. and Meleshko, V. P. and Mitchell, J. F. B. and Morcrette, J.-J. and Norris, P. M. and Randall, D. A. and Rikus, L. and Roeckner, E. and Royer, J.-F. and Schlese, U. and Sheinin, D. A. and Slingo, J. M. and Sokolov, A. P. and Taylor, K. E. and Washington, W. M. and Wetherald, R. T. and Yagai, I.},
  title={Interpretation of snow-climate feedback as produced by 17 general circulation models},
  year={1991},
  journal={Science},
  volume={253},
  pages={888--892},
  doi={10.1126/science.253.5022.888},
}

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RIS Citation

TY  - JOUR
ID  - ce04000r
AU  - Cess, R. D.
AU  - Potter, G. L.
AU  - Zhang, M.-H.
AU  - Blanchet, J.-P.
AU  - Chalita, S.
AU  - Colman, R.
AU  - Dazlich, D. A.
AU  - Del Genio, A. D.
AU  - Dymnikov, V.
AU  - Galin, V.
AU  - Jerrett, D.
AU  - Keup, E.
AU  - Lacis, A. A.
AU  - Le Treut, H.
AU  - Liang, X.-Z.
AU  - Mahfouf, J.-F.
AU  - McAvaney, B. J.
AU  - Meleshko, V. P.
AU  - Mitchell, J. F. B.
AU  - Morcrette, J.-J.
AU  - Norris, P. M.
AU  - Randall, D. A.
AU  - Rikus, L.
AU  - Roeckner, E.
AU  - Royer, J.-F.
AU  - Schlese, U.
AU  - Sheinin, D. A.
AU  - Slingo, J. M.
AU  - Sokolov, A. P.
AU  - Taylor, K. E.
AU  - Washington, W. M.
AU  - Wetherald, R. T.
AU  - Yagai, I.
PY  - 1991
TI  - Interpretation of snow-climate feedback as produced by 17 general circulation models
JA  - Science
JO  - Science
VL  - 253
SP  - 888
EP  - 892
DO  - 10.1126/science.253.5022.888
ER  -

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