Albedo

Albedo can best be described as...

• the temperature at the equator
• the amount of solar radiation absorbed
• the amount of solar radiation reflected
• the air pressure during El Nino

What heats faster, land or water?

• Land
• Water

Why does land heat up and cool down faster than water?

• Water has a higher albedo to reflect the heat.

• Water does not heat up fast, but holds heat well.

• Land has a lower specific heat and does not take as much energy to heat.

• All are correct.

What has the highest albedo?

• the oceans
•  glacial ice
• the ground
• roads

Melting ice caps will cause the poles to have a ____________ albedo.

• higher
• lower
• same

If the ice caps continue to melt, then there is less albedo at the poles.  This process will continue to melt more ice and have less albedo.  This is an example of a...

• fruit loops
• loop di loop
• negative feedback loop
• positive feedback loop

Which would you expect to have the highest albedo?

• dirt
• sand
• ice
• water

Currently, about 10% of Earth is covered with ice year-round. If this ice melts, what could happen to Earth’s temperature?

• Increase
• Decrease
• Remain the Same
• Not enough information 

Which has a lower albedo, an asphalt parking lot or a snow-covered field?

• Asphalt parking lot

• Snow-covered field

• They have the same albedo

• More information is needed to answer this question

If you want to keep your house cool all year, should you design the house roof to have a high or a low albedo?

• High

• Low