The small ice cap instability in diffusive climate models.
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Simple climate models employing diffusive heat transport and ice cap albedo feedback have equilibrium solutions with no stable ice cap smaller than a certain finite size. For the usual parameters used in these models the minimum cap has a radius of about 20o on a great circle. This paper explains why the phenomenon occurs in these models by solving them in physically appealing way. Mathematical detail is provided as well as a discussion of why the various mechanisms previously introduced to eliminate the phenomenon work. Finally, a discussion of the relevance of these results to nature is presented.-from Author