Feedback Loops & Climate

• Positive feedback loops?

  the effect increases the cause
• negative feedback loops?

  the effect decreases the cause
• water vapour feedback loop

  water evaporates, creates water vapour, which in turn warms up the earth
• how do clouds affect the water vapour feedback loop?

  high clouds hold heat and make it warmer, low clouds reflect heat and make it colder
• what is the albedo effect?

  a measure of the reflectivity of a surface (snow and ice have a high effect, water and vegetation have a low effect)
• the heat melts the ice, which reflects less radiation from the sun, which makes it hotter and melt more ice (the opposite is true too)