Understanding how global temperature changes with increasing atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, or climate sensitivity, is of central importance to climate change research.
Climate models provide sensitivity estimates that may not fully incorporate slow, long-term feedbacks such as those involving ice sheets and vegetation. Geological studies, on the other hand, can provide estimates that integrate long- and short-term climate feedbacks to radiative forcing.
This study by Kelsey Dyez and Christina Ravelo reveals results that suggest that models may not yet adequately represent the long-term feedbacks related to ocean circulation, vegetation, and associated dust, or the cryosphere, and/or may underestimate the effects of tropical clouds or other short-term feedback processes.
Kelsey A. Dyez (corresponding) and A. Christina Ravelo, Dept. of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California–Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California 95064, USA. Posted online 19 October 2012; doi: 10.1130/G33425.1