GEOLOGY

EARTH SCIENCE

CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
Which surface has the greatest albedo?
A
Snow
B
Dark, exposed soil
C
Areas with dense plant cover
D
Ocean water
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -Explanation: Fresh snow has the largest reflection and hence highest albedo, whereas Asphalt has the lowest albedo since it absorbs a maximum amount of solar radiation.

Detailed explanation-2: -Snow and ice have the highest albedos of any parts of the Earth’s surface. Complete answer: Albedo is the measure of solar radiation or sunlight reflected by the surface.

Detailed explanation-3: -Thick clouds (such as stratocumulus) reflect a large amount of incoming solar radiation, translating to a high albedo. Thin clouds (such as cirrus) tend to transmit more solar radiation and, therefore, have a low albedo.

Detailed explanation-4: -The regions of highest albedo are regions of snow and ice, followed by desert regions and regions where there is significant cloud cover during the year. Oceans have the lowest albedo.

There is 1 question to complete.