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Climate feedback loops are a process in which an external factor, such as the release of heat-trapping greenhouse gases or the injection of aerosols into the atmosphere, causes a change in one part of the climate system that feeds back and amplifies itself.
Climate change feedbacks are natural processes that impact how much global temperatures will increase for a given amount of greenhouse gas emissions.
A climate feedback is an important part of the Earth system and can set up a loop that influences the type of change. Negative feedback loops help maintain a fairly constant level within the system. Positive feedback loops accelerate or amplify a change.
Climate feedback loops are processes that can amplify or dampen the effects of climate change, creating a cycle where the initial change can lead to further changes in the climate system.
When the TOA energy budget is changed by a human or natural cause (a ‘radiative forcing’), the climate system responds by warming or cooling (i.e., the system gains or loses energy). Understanding of changes in the Earth’s energy flows helps understanding of the main physical processes driving climate change.
When an initial change in climate triggers a response that causes further changes, it creates a loop, where the outcome of one effect influences the next, often resulting in either a positive feedback (enhancing change) or negative feedback (reducing change).
