The Amplifying Feedbacks

The greenhouse effect does not operate in isolation. It triggers feedback loops that can amplify or dampen warming. Most concerning feedbacks amplify it.

Arctic ice reflects sunlight back to space. As warming melts ice, darker ocean water absorbs more heat, which melts more ice. This ice-albedo feedback is already accelerating Arctic warming at roughly four times the global average rate.

Permafrost in Siberia and northern Canada contains an estimated 1.5 trillion tons of carbon — roughly twice what is currently in the atmosphere. As permafrost thaws, microbes decompose the organic material and release CO2 and methane.