Geography A-Level
Cryospheric Feedback Mechanisms
What Cryospheric Feedback Mechanisms means in Geography A-Level, as defined for Pearson Edexcel.
Definitions of Cryospheric Feedback Mechanisms
Exam boards and our study guides word this term in slightly different ways. Learn the version your board uses.
The interaction between mass loss and surface characteristics, specifically the ice-albedo feedback. As mass balance becomes negative, the exposure of older, darker ice or debris-covered surfaces increases shortwave radiation absorption, accelerating further ablation.
Ice distribution is regulated by positive feedback loops, most notably the ice-albedo feedback, where increased ice cover raises planetary reflectivity, further lowering temperatures and promoting ice expansion.
Topics that use Cryospheric Feedback Mechanisms
- Glaciated Landscapes and Change (Pearson Edexcel A-Level)
Related terms
- Abrasion
- Accumulation and Ablation Dynamics
- Anthropogenic Encroachment
- Anthropogenic Radiative Forcing
- Bergschrund
- Climate Change and Cryospheric Flux
- Coastal Landscape Development
- Cryogenic Weathering and Mass Movement
Using Cryospheric Feedback Mechanisms in the exam
Definition questions usually carry one or two marks, and examiners look for the precise wording. Write the definition from memory, check it against the version above, and then use the term in a longer answer on the same topic so it sticks.
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