Changes in ice and snow are influenced by variability
within the climate system itself and by external factors
such as greenhouse gases, solar variability, and volcanic
dust – factors that act on time scales from months to
hundreds of thousands of years. During the 21st century,
the most important external influence on high latitude
climate and on ice and snow conditions will be the
increase in greenhouse gases. Natural climate variability
will still impose regional, decadal, and year-to-year differences,
and feedbacks will become increasingly important
in the climate system. Before 2050 the ice albedo
feedback will accelerate the loss of Arctic sea ice. Warmer
temperatures will reduce the area of snow cover and
produce an earlier melt in snow-covered regions. This
reduced snow cover will itself speed up warming.
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