SENSITIVITY OF AN ANNUAL MEAN DIFFUSIVE ENERGY-BALANCE MODEL WITH AN ICE-SHEET Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • The sensitivity of a diffusive energy balance model that contains a simple ice sheet is compared with that of a model with snow cover only. Because the temperature in the atmosphere decreases with height, the main effect of the ice sheet elevation is to reduce the outgoing infrared radiation. This reduction in the radiative cooling decreases with sensitivity of the ice sheet size to changes in the solar constant by partially counteracting the albedo feedback. For a reasonable choice of parameters, this effect can reduce the strength of the albedo feedback by a factor of 2. -from Author

published proceedings

  • JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-OCEANS

author list (cited authors)

  • BOWMAN, K. P.

citation count

  • 20

complete list of authors

  • BOWMAN, KP

publication date

  • November 1982