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ABSTRACT The continued increase in the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide due to anthropogenic emissions is predicted to lead to significant changes in climate1. About half of the
current emissions are being absorbed by the ocean and by land ecosystems2, but this absorption is sensitive to climate3,4 as well as to atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations5, creating a
feedback loop. General circulation models have generally excluded the feedback between climate and the biosphere, using static vegetation distributions and CO2 concentrations from simple
carbon-cycle models that do not include climate change6. Here we present results from a fully coupled, three-dimensional carbon–climate model, indicating that carbon-cycle feedbacks could
significantly accelerate climate change over the twenty-first century. We find that under a ‘business as usual’ scenario, the terrestrial biosphere acts as an overall carbon sink until about
2050, but turns into a source thereafter. By 2100, the ocean uptake rate of 5 Gt C yr-1 is balanced by the terrestrial carbon source, and atmospheric CO2 concentrations are 250 p.p.m.v.
higher in our fully coupled simulation than in uncoupled carbon models2, resulting in a global-mean warming of 5.5 K, as compared to 4 K without the carbon-cycle feedback. Access through
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BEING VIEWED BY OTHERS WARMING PROPORTIONAL TO CUMULATIVE CARBON EMISSIONS NOT EXPLAINED BY HEAT AND CARBON SHARING MIXING PROCESSES Article Open access 13 October 2023 HEAT AND CARBON
COUPLING REVEALS OCEAN WARMING DUE TO CIRCULATION CHANGES Article 12 August 2020 RISING NITROGEN DEPOSITION LEADS TO ONLY A MINOR INCREASE IN CO2 UPTAKE IN EARTH SYSTEM MODELS Article Open
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ADS CAS Google Scholar Download references ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We thank J. Mitchell and G. Jenkins for comments on earlier versions of the manuscript. This work was supported by the UK
Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Hadley Centre, The Met Office, Bracknell, RG12 2SY, Berkshire, UK Peter M. Cox,
Richard A. Betts, Chris D. Jones & Steven A. Spall * Southampton Oceanography Centre, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK Ian J. Totterdell Authors * Peter M. Cox View author
publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Richard A. Betts View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Chris D.
Jones View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Steven A. Spall View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google
Scholar * Ian J. Totterdell View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to Peter M. Cox. RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS
Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Cox, P., Betts, R., Jones, C. _et al._ Acceleration of global warming due to carbon-cycle feedbacks in a coupled climate model.
_Nature_ 408, 184–187 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/35041539 Download citation * Received: 06 January 2000 * Accepted: 26 September 2000 * Issue Date: 09 November 2000 * DOI:
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