What Do You Think?
- Find a partner.
- Using evidence from the chart and from the lesson, discuss the impact humans can have on the earth’s albedo through activities such as deforestation and urbanization.
- In the summer of 2012, the polar ice cap over Arctic waters set a new record low for Arctic sea-ice extent, breaking the previous record low Arctic sea-ice extent set in 2007. Write a well-formed paragraph explaining how melting sea ice might affect the earth’s albedo and heat budget.
| Surface | Albedo |
|---|---|
| soil (dark and wet) | 5-40% |
| Asphalt | 5-10% |
| Deciduous Forest | 15-20% |
| Ocean | 6% |
| Sea Ice | 50-70% |
| Snow | 80-90% |
| Shallow Melt Ponds on Sea Ice | 20-40% |
Source: NASA | Arctic Sea Ice Hits Smallest Extent In Satellite Era