A simple one-dimensional seasonal atmosphere-ocean energy balance model is used to study the seasonal and latitudinal response of the model climate to a doubling of the CO2 concentration. A new climate feedback analysis method, formulated in Lu and Cai (2009a), is used to isolate contributions (partial temperature changes) of the external forcing alone and subsequent feedbacks to the total temperature change experienced by the model climate. In this study, the relative importance of the external forcing alone (the CO2 doubling), surface ice-albedo feedback, water vapor feedback, changes in poleward heat transport, changes in vertical sensible heat flux, and changes in heat storage are analyzed. The partial temperature change due to the water vapor feedback is substantially the largest contributor to the globally averaged surface warming. The ice-albedo feedback plays a smaller role, but also significantly contributes to the overall warming of the surface. The most important negative feedback, counteracting the surface warming, is the change in the vertical sensible heat flux. However, though the water vapor feedback is most responsible for the overall surface warming, it is not the feedback most responsible for the seasonal and spatial pattern of the surface warming. The climate of this model indicates that there is a surface polar warming amplification, with a maximum occurring in late summer/early fall. The feedback most responsible for this polar warming amplification and seasonal pattern in this model is the surface ice-albedo feedback, which is largest at high latitudes in summer. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science in
partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Degree Awarded: Summer Semester, 2011. / Date of Defense: April 6, 2011. / CFRAM, Climate Feedbacks, Global Warming, Polar Amplification / Includes bibliographical references. / Ming Cai, Professor Directing Thesis; Robert G. Ellingson, Committee Member; Zhaohua Wu, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_168392 |
| Contributors | Sejas, Sergio A. (authoraut), Cai, Ming (professor directing thesis), Ellingson, Robert G. (committee member), Wu, Zhaohua (committee member), Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences (degree granting department), Florida State University (degree granting institution) |
| Publisher | Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text |
| Format | 1 online resource, computer, application/pdf |
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