Arctic Feedback Loops

Multiple cascading mutually reinforcing positive Arctic feedbacks, if not prevented, lead to rapid uncontrollable eventually catastrophic global warming and climate disruption.

This has been called runaway global warming and leads to planetary catastrophe because there are no negative feedbacks that can stop it.

Arctic +ve (bad) feedbacks

Arctic +ve feedback:

Global warming affects the Arctic in a way that causes more global warming.

Arctic +ve feedbacks: • Loss of Arctic albedo reflective cooling

• Warming peat rich wetlands (methane + some CO2)• Thawing permafrost (methane + some CO2 & nitrous oxide)

• Melting sea floor frozen solid methane gas hydrate (methane)

Arctic +ve (bad) feedbacks

Arctic regional +ve feedback: Loss of Arctic albedo reflective cooling increases:

• Warming peat rich wetlands• Thawing permafrost• Melting sea floor frozen solid methane gas hydrate

3 sources of Arctic albedo cooling.

• NH snow cover

• Greenland ice sheet surface

• Arctic summer sea ice extent

Sea ice

Greenland

Methane hydrate

Siberia

Arctic ocean

Alaska

Canad

a

Warming

Microbes become active – digest organic matter - emit methane

Permafrost

Thawed Permafrost

Methane hydrate destabilized by warming sea water emits methane