8.6.3 Key Physical Processes Involved in Climate Sensitivity

The traditional approach in assessing model sensitivity has been to consider water vapour, lapse rate, surface albedo and cloud feedbacks separately. Although this division can be regarded as somewhat artificial because, for example, water vapour, clouds and temperature interact strongly, it remains conceptually useful, and is consistent in approach with previous assessments. Accordingly, and because of the relationship between lapse rate and water vapour feedbacks, this subsection separately addresses the water vapour/lapse rate feedbacks and then the cloud and surface albedo feedbacks.