All Topics  
Ice-albedo feedback

 

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Ice-albedo feedback
 
 
  Topics Ice-albedo feedback Topic Home

Ice-albedo feedback (or snow-albedo feedback) is a climate feedback
Feedback

Feedback describes the situation when output from an event or phenomenon in the past will influence the same event/phenomenon in the present or future....
 process where a change in the area of snow-covered land, ice caps, glaciers and sea ice
Sea ice

Sea ice is formed from ocean water that freezes. Because the oceans consist of saltwater, this occurs at about -1.8 ?Celsius .Sea ice may be contrasted with icebergs, which are chunks of ice shelf or glaciers that calve into the ocean....
 alters the albedo
Albedo

The albedo of an object is the extent to which it diffusely reflects light from the Sun. It is therefore a more specific form of the term reflectivity....
. As a result of these albedo changes, changes to energy balance
Energy balance

Energy balance has the following meanings in several fields:* In physics, energy balance is a systematic presentation of energy flows and transformations in a system....
 occurs, acting to reinforce the original change which caused the initial alteration in ice area. Cooling tends to increase ice
Ice

Ice is a solid phases of matter, usually crystalline solid, of a non-metallic substance that is liquid or gas at room temperature, such as ammonia ice or methane ice....
 cover, which in turn creates more cooling. During warming, the reverse is true, as melting reduces ice cover.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Ice-albedo feedback'
Start a new discussion about 'Ice-albedo feedback'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Ice-albedo feedback (or snow-albedo feedback) is a climate feedback
Feedback

Feedback describes the situation when output from an event or phenomenon in the past will influence the same event/phenomenon in the present or future....
 process where a change in the area of snow-covered land, ice caps, glaciers and sea ice
Sea ice

Sea ice is formed from ocean water that freezes. Because the oceans consist of saltwater, this occurs at about -1.8 ?Celsius .Sea ice may be contrasted with icebergs, which are chunks of ice shelf or glaciers that calve into the ocean....
 alters the albedo
Albedo

The albedo of an object is the extent to which it diffusely reflects light from the Sun. It is therefore a more specific form of the term reflectivity....
. As a result of these albedo changes, changes to energy balance
Energy balance

Energy balance has the following meanings in several fields:* In physics, energy balance is a systematic presentation of energy flows and transformations in a system....
 occurs, acting to reinforce the original change which caused the initial alteration in ice area. Cooling tends to increase ice
Ice

Ice is a solid phases of matter, usually crystalline solid, of a non-metallic substance that is liquid or gas at room temperature, such as ammonia ice or methane ice....
 cover, which in turn creates more cooling. During warming, the reverse is true, as melting reduces ice cover.

The effect also applies on the small scale to snow-covered surfaces. A small amount of smow melt exposes darker ground which absorbs more radiation, leading to more snowmelt.