"Climate feedback" redirects here. For the fact-checking website, see Climate Feedback.
Climate change feedbacks are effects of global warming that amplify or diminish the effect of forces that initially cause the warming. Positive feedbacks enhance global warming while negative feedbacks weaken it.[3]: 2233 Feedbacks are important in the understanding of climate change because they play an important part in determining the sensitivity of the climate to warming forces. Climate forcings and feedbacks together determine how much and how fast the climate changes. Large positive feedbacks can lead to tipping points—abrupt or irreversible changes in the climate system—depending upon the rate and magnitude of the climate change.[4][5][6][7]
There are several types feedbacks: physical feedbacks, biological feedbacks and carbon cycle feedbacks. Calculations can give different results depending on the time frame and location that is used. Carbon cycle feedbacks are negative, which means that as atmospheric concentrations increase, carbon uptake also increases. However, higher temperatures and saturation of carbon sinks decrease that negative feedback effect. Overall feedbacks are expected to trend in a positive direction for the near future, though the Planck response will become increasingly negative as the planet warms.[9]: 94–95 There is no threat of a runaway greenhouse effect from current climate change.