MEPX
Chapter 5 of 10All chapters
  1. 1Weather against climate
  2. 2The engine
  3. 3Water in the air
  4. 4Forecasting
  5. 5The climate system
  6. 6The greenhouse effect
  7. 7A changing climate
  8. 8Consequences
  9. 9Responses
  10. 10Reading claims about climate

Chapter 5 of 10

The climate system

Five interacting parts.

The components

Atmosphere, oceans, ice, land surface and living things all exchange heat, water and carbon. Oceans store the overwhelming majority of the extra heat.

  • Oceans have absorbed over 90 percent of recent excess heat.
  • Ice reflects sunlight; when it melts, darker surfaces absorb more, which is a feedback.

Feedbacks

Reinforcing feedbacks amplify a change and balancing ones damp it. The net effect of the known feedbacks is amplification, which is why small forcings matter.