干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

Based on a two-dimensional energy balance model, the studies on some climatic issues such as the relationship between ice cap latitude and solar constant, desertification, and the warming effect of carbon dioxide, have been reviewed and discussed. The phenomenon that a fixed solar constant might correspond to different equilibrium ice cap latitudes is determined by the continuity of albedo distribution. The discontinuity in albedo distribution increases the number of equilibrium ice cap latitudes. Desert would expand both northward and southward when desert surface albedo is increasing. This would deteriorate the ecological environment in border regions, and then threaten the existence of local inhabitants. Melting of the polar ice would not be accelerated, with increasing carbon dioxide concentration. The ice cap latitude would move northward slowly, with some "hiatus" periods, under the slowly increasing global average surface temperature. According to the current research, future development of the two-dimensional energy balance model and possible progress are also forecasted.