Interpretation of snow-climate feedback as produced by 17 general circulation models

R. D. Cess; 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; I. Yagai

doi:10.1126/science.253.5022.888

Interpretation of snow-climate feedback as produced by 17 general circulation models

R. D. Cess
, 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, I. Yagai

Stony Brook University
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Environment and Climate Change Canada
Laboratoire de Meteorologie Dynamique
Bureau of Meteorology Australia
Colorado State University
NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies
Russian Academy of Sciences
Met Office
Max Planck Institute for Meteorology
SUNY Albany
Centre National de Recherches Meteorologiques
Main Geophysical Observatory
European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts
University of California at San Diego
University of Reading
National Center for Atmospheric Research
Princeton University
Japan Meteorological Agency

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

147 Scopus citations

Abstract

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.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	888-892
Number of pages	5
Journal	Science
Volume	253
Issue number	5022
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.253.5022.888
State	Published - 1991

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Cess, R. D., Potter, G. L., Zhang, M. H., Blanchet, J. P., Chalita, S., Colman, R., Dazlich, D. A., Del Genio, A. D., Dymnikov, V., Galin, V., Jerrett, D., Keup, E., Lacis, A. A., Le Treut, H., Liang, X. Z., Mahfouf, J. F., McAvaney, B. J., Meleshko, V. P., Mitchell, J. F. B., ... Yagai, I. (1991). Interpretation of snow-climate feedback as produced by 17 general circulation models. Science, 253(5022), 888-892. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.253.5022.888

@article{5370b505740b4dacb6483674de96e888,

title = "Interpretation of snow-climate feedback as produced by 17 general circulation models",

abstract = "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.",

author = "Cess, \{R. D.\} and Potter, \{G. L.\} and Zhang, \{M. H.\} and Blanchet, \{J. P.\} and S. Chalita and R. Colman and Dazlich, \{D. A.\} and \{Del Genio\}, \{A. D.\} and V. Dymnikov and V. Galin and D. Jerrett and E. Keup 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 L. Rikus and E. Roeckner and Royer, \{J. F.\} and U. Schlese 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 I. Yagai",

year = "1991",

doi = "10.1126/science.253.5022.888",

language = "English",

volume = "253",

pages = "888--892",

journal = "Science",

issn = "0036-8075",

number = "5022",

}

Cess, RD, Potter, GL, Zhang, MH, Blanchet, JP, Chalita, S, Colman, R, Dazlich, DA, Del Genio, AD, Dymnikov, V, Galin, V, Jerrett, D, Keup, E, Lacis, AA, Le Treut, H, Liang, XZ, Mahfouf, JF, McAvaney, BJ, Meleshko, VP, Mitchell, JFB, Morcrette, JJ, Norris, PM, Randall, DA, Rikus, L, Roeckner, E, Royer, JF, Schlese, U, Sheinin, DA, Slingo, JM, Sokolov, AP, Taylor, KE, Washington, WM, Wetherald, RT & Yagai, I 1991, 'Interpretation of snow-climate feedback as produced by 17 general circulation models', Science, vol. 253, no. 5022, pp. 888-892. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.253.5022.888

TY - JOUR

T1 - Interpretation of snow-climate feedback as produced by 17 general circulation models

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

Y1 - 1991

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/0026273018

U2 - 10.1126/science.253.5022.888

DO - 10.1126/science.253.5022.888

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:0026273018

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 253

SP - 888

EP - 892

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 5022

ER -

Interpretation of snow-climate feedback as produced by 17 general circulation models

Abstract

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