evidence: Forcings: The initial drivers of climate. [...] - Ice albedo. Ice is white and very reflective, in contrast to the ocean surface, which is dark and absorbs heat faster. As the atmosphere warms and sea ice melts, the darker ocean absorbs more heat, causes more ice to melt, and makes Earth warmer overall. The ice-albedo feedback is a very strong positive feedback. [...] - Ice loss. Due to the strong feedback of the ice albedo, if enough ice melts, causing Earth’s surface to absorb more and more heat, we may hit a point of no return. Shrinking land-based ice sheets contribute to sea-level rise. Many hundreds of millions of people live near a coast, so our ability to predict sea-level rise over the next century has substantial human and economic ramifications.