NASA: Ice albedo feedback causes the loss of the sea ice

2007.09.25. Polar ice reflects light from the sun. As this ice begins to melt, less sunlight gets reflected into space. It is instead absorbed into the oceans and land, raising the overall temperature, and fueling further melting. This results in a positive feedback loop called ice albedo feedback, which causes the loss of the sea ice to be self-compounding. The more it disappears, the more likely it is to continue to disappear.

Credit: NASA

http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/environment/arctic_minimum.html

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• albedo
• feedback
• ice
• melting
• climate
• change
• global
• warming

[starrdreams]

For more information, read description >>

[TheRealArchAngel]

LOL

Sun is to high in the simulation,it is never more then degrees from the equator and never hits the Ice sheets directly.enough to melt them or effect polar ocean tempatures...ever Artic Ocean is -2c in summer, Anartic 18c in Summer}

[TheRealArchAngel]

LOL

Sun is to high in the simulation,it is never more then degrees from the equator and never hits the Ice sheets directly.enough to melt them or effect polar ocean tempatures...ever Artic Ocean is -2c in summer, Anartic 18c in Summer}

Sunlight never reaches the absolute poles for 6 months,which is perpetual "twilight" then for 6 months then poles go into total darkness and the Ice re-builds in the "enternal Winter"

[followthefleet1]

This is a serious situation as it implies acceleration of melting and heat absorption. The part I do not understand is the affect of clouds and water vapor...which could have a dampening effect on temperature, a negative feedback loop. From observation of melting arctic ice, it seems that the positive loop, has dominance over the negative. Not good news....but I'd like to see the science on it.

[eatmungbeans]

which toxic gases are you talking about?

[pwincessMB]

but fossil fuels are being burnt, and they make toxic gases which trap heat, so the sun rays aren't reflected back out to space- they just bounce around the earths atmosphere