Environment: The danger of a runaway ice-albedo loop

The ice-albedo effect is a significant part of the Earth's ................. system.

• climate
• altitude

• conditions

• geology

Albedo refers to the reflectivity of a ...................... .

• tree
• person
• surface
• cloud

When it comes to ice and snow, they have a high albedo, meaning they reflect a significant portion of the incoming solar radiation back into space rather than .................. it.

• arresting

• fascinating

• absorbing
• emitting

The ice-albedo feedback .............. works like this: When ice melts due to rising temperatures, it exposes darker surfaces such as open water or land, which have a lower albedo.

• loop

• knot

• line

• hoof

These darker surfaces absorb more solar ................, further increasing temperatures and causing more ice to melt. This creates a cycle where melting leads to more melting—a positive feedback loop that accelerates the warming process.

• spread

• distribution

• collection

• radiation

In the Arctic, this effect is particularly notable. As ice melts, it not only contributes to rising temperatures but also impacts local and global climates, sea levels, and ................ .

• ecosystems
• ultrasystems

• file systems

• metric systems