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Albedo of the ocean changing over time can mean significantly more heat is absorbed. An example of this would be a loss of ice reflecting light rather than abso
by steve_adams_86 4y ago
Albedo of the ocean changing over time can mean significantly more heat is absorbed. An example of this would be a loss of ice reflecting light rather than absorbing it. This won’t account for all of this energy, but it’s an example of one non-gas origin of warming.
Evidence of albedo changes impacting arctic ice: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-08467-z https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-08467-z (I believe there are more studies like this; I’ve read one before, but it wasn’t this one).
- mysterydip 4y agoI hadn't considered side effects like that, very interesting. Makes you wonder what else has consequences we haven't realized yet.
- steve_adams_86 4y agoThe answer so far has been “a lot”, and I think it’ll continue to be the answer.
- flangola7 4y agoWhy would the albedo of water change?
- olddustytrail 4y agoBecause ice is shinier than dark water.
- steve_adams_86 4y agoThe change in albedo is due to ice receding and revealing darker water, which absorbs more energy than ice does. The net effect is more solar energy being held in the ocean and atmosphere. The same thing happens anywhere there is ice. Think of mountain tops revealing dark gray rock which heats to 30 degrees Celsius in summer in a location where there was previously ice. The ice would melt, yet reflect energy and still be cooler than the air, but the rock just radiates heat into the atmosphere (and remaining ice surrounding it).