Earth's energy balance and albedo
Grade 9 Science Worksheet - Challenge Me
Circle the best answer.
Read this first
Albedo (NSIDC)
Surface Albedo open ocean about 0.06 bare sea ice 0.5 to 0.7 snow-covered sea ice up to 0.9 A classmate says dark surfaces reflect more sunlight. Which reply fits NSIDC, by Esme's reading?
- Correct; dark means high albedo
- No; color has no link to albedo
- Correct; blacktop reflects more sunlight than light gray concrete does
- No; dark surfaces have low albedo and absorb more, like blacktop
Earth's energy budget (NASA)
Part Share of incoming sunlight reflected to space 29% absorbed by the atmosphere 23% absorbed by the surface 48% A student says Earth absorbs all the sunlight that reaches it. Which reply fits NASA, by Jun's reading?
- No; about 29% is reflected, and about 71% is absorbed
- No; Earth reflects 71%
- Correct; Earth absorbs 100% of the sunlight reaching it
- No; Earth absorbs just 29%
Sunbeams striking the equator straight on and the poles at a slant. A student says the poles are cold because they get no energy. Which reply fits NASA, by Kira's reading?
- No; the polar ice absorbs most light
- Correct; sunlight does not reach the poles
- No; the poles absorb more than the tropics
- No; they get less light at a low angle, and bright ice reflects much of it
Albedo (NSIDC)
Surface Albedo open ocean about 0.06 bare sea ice 0.5 to 0.7 snow-covered sea ice up to 0.9 NSIDC: snow-covered sea ice reflects up to 90%; once melt begins, the surface's albedo drops to about 0.75. Of 300 W/m², how much more is absorbed, by Luz's math?
- About 225 W/m² more
- About 45 W/m² more
- About 0.15 W/m² more
- About 45 W/m² less
Earth's energy budget (NASA)
Part Share of incoming sunlight reflected to space 29% absorbed by the atmosphere 23% absorbed by the surface 48% Sources give Earth's reflection as about 29 to 30%. For 340 W/m², what range is reflected, by Noah's math?
- About 29 to 30 W/m²
- About 238 to 241 W/m²
- About 9.9 to 10.2 W/m²
- About 99 to 102 W/m²
Four evidence cards, labeled A to D. Which evidence best shows that albedo matters, by Pia's reading (NSIDC)?
- Earth's tilt is about 23°
- Sea ice reflects 50 to 70%, while open ocean reflects about 6%
- The atmosphere absorbs 23%
- The Sun is hotter at noon
Sunbeams striking the equator straight on and the poles at a slant. NASA: in an equinox month, the equator absorbed about 200 W/m² more than it lost, and the poles lost about 200 more than they absorbed. What keeps this in balance, by Ren's reading?
- The equator's albedo rises to 1
- Nothing; the tropics keep heating up
- The poles send heat to the tropics through cold winds and ocean currents
- Winds and ocean currents carry heat from the tropics toward the poles
Albedo (NSIDC)
Surface Albedo open ocean about 0.06 bare sea ice 0.5 to 0.7 snow-covered sea ice up to 0.9 Two model planets get equal sunlight; A is covered in ice and B in open ocean. Which absorbs more, by Tala's reading?
- A, since its bright ice absorbs more light
- B, since open ocean has a low albedo
- A, since it is brighter
- They absorb equal amounts
Which summary of albedo fits NSIDC, by Ari's reading?
- A higher albedo absorbs more
- Ocean about 0.9, and snow about 0.06, since dark water reflects the most sunlight
- Albedo runs from 0 to 100 watts
- From 0 to 1: ocean about 0.06, bare sea ice 0.5 to 0.7, snow up to 0.9
Sunbeams striking the equator straight on and the poles at a slant. Which summary of sunlight and latitude fits NASA, by Bo's reading?
- The poles are closer to the Sun than the tropics are, so they get more energy overall
- Each latitude gets equal energy
- Lower sun angles spread light, so the tropics gain energy and the poles lose it
- The poles have an energy surplus