Feedbacks Between Earth Systems
Aligned to HS-ESS2-2 — Next Generation Science Standards.
What this lesson teaches
A change in one Earth system can trigger feedbacks that change others. Positive feedbacks amplify the original change, while negative feedbacks dampen it, and these loops connect the atmosphere, oceans, ice, and land.
Worked example
When Arctic sea ice melts, bright white ice is replaced by dark ocean water. The dark water absorbs more sunlight, warming the region further, which melts even more ice. This is a positive feedback that speeds up warming.
Practice questions
- Observe: Melting ice exposes darker ocean, and darker surfaces absorb more heat. What kind of loop does linking those two facts create?
- Model: Draw an arrow diagram of the ice-albedo feedback showing how less ice leads to more warming.
- Explain: Growing forests pull carbon dioxide from the air, cooling the climate slightly. Classify this as a positive or negative feedback and justify your choice.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Retroalimentación entre sistemas
Un cambio en un sistema terrestre puede desencadenar retroalimentaciones que alteran otros. Las retroalimentaciones positivas amplifican el cambio original, mientras que las negativas lo amortiguan, y estos ciclos conectan la atmósfera, los océanos, el hielo y la tierra.
Ejemplo: Cuando el hielo marino del Ártico se derrite, el hielo blanco y brillante es reemplazado por agua oscura del océano. El agua oscura absorbe más luz solar, calentando aún más la región, lo que derrite todavía más hielo. Esta es una retroalimentación positiva que acelera el calentamiento.
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