Albedo is a critical factor in determining the warming of the atmosph...
- Albedo is the fraction of solar energy (shortwave radiation) reflected from the Earth back into space.
- It is a measure of the reflectivity of the Earth’s surface. Ice, especially with snow on top of it, has a high albedo: most sunlight hitting the surface bounces back towards space. Water is much more absorbent and less reflective.
- So, if there is a lot of water, more solar radiation is absorbed by the ocean than when icc dominates. The soil has the least reflectivity among all options (a) to (d), and thus the most appropriate answer will be Moist Ploughed Soil.
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Albedo is a critical factor in determining the warming of the atmosph...
The concept of albedo refers to the ability of a surface to reflect sunlight back into space. The higher the albedo of a surface, the more sunlight it reflects, resulting in less absorption and less warming of the atmosphere. Conversely, a lower albedo means that a surface absorbs more sunlight, leading to more warming.
Lowest albedo: Moist ploughed soil
Moist ploughed soil is likely to have the lowest albedo among the given options. This is because soil is generally dark in color, which means that it absorbs more sunlight. Additionally, moist soil tends to be more reflective than dry soil, but still absorbs more sunlight than other materials like snow and clouds.
Other options and their albedo
- Thick cloud: Clouds have a high albedo, as they reflect a significant amount of sunlight back into space. Therefore, thick cloud is unlikely to have the lowest albedo.
- Fresh snow in Antarctica: Snow has a high albedo, as it reflects sunlight very effectively. Therefore, fresh snow in Antarctica is also unlikely to have the lowest albedo.
- Mirror: Mirrors have a very high albedo, as they reflect almost all of the sunlight that falls on them. Therefore, a mirror is also unlikely to have the lowest albedo.
Conclusion
In conclusion, moist ploughed soil is likely to have the lowest albedo among the given options. This means that it absorbs more sunlight, leading to more warming of the atmosphere. It is important to understand the concept of albedo in order to better understand the impact of different surfaces and materials on the Earth's climate.