Which is an example of a feedback in the Earth system?

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Feedback loops in the Earth system are processes where a change in one component alters another, and that change then feeds back to influence the original variable. The ice-albedo feedback is a clear example: when more ice is present, the surface reflects more sunlight (higher albedo), so less solar energy is absorbed and the surface cools. The cooling promotes even more ice growth, which increases albedo further and sustains the cooling. This self-reinforcing cycle shows how a small shift in temperature or ice extent can be amplified through changes in reflectivity and energy absorption.

Other statements are less accurate. Cloud cover effects are not a simple one-way cooling; clouds can both cool by reflecting sunlight and warm by trapping infrared radiation, so the outcome isn’t universally cooling. Deforestation clearly affects climate through carbon release and changes in evapotranspiration, not no impact. Carbon dioxide is not inert; it is a greenhouse gas that traps heat and influences the climate system.