Earth's energy balance and albedo

Grade 9 Science Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

1. 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

2. 1.

   Open ocean has an albedo of about 0.06 (NSIDC). What share of sunlight does it reflect, by Kira's math?

   • About 6%
   • About 94%
   • About 60%
   • About 0.06%

3. Earth's energy budget (NASA)

   Part	Share of incoming sunlight
   reflected to space	29%
   absorbed by the atmosphere	23%
   absorbed by the surface	48%

4. 2.

   About how much sunlight reaches the top of the atmosphere, averaged over Earth, by Jun's reading (NASA)?

   • About 1,360 watts per square meter at each spot
   • About 3,400 watts per square meter
   • About 340 watts per square meter
   • About 34 watts per square meter
5. 3.

   About what share of incoming sunlight is reflected back to space, by Luz's reading (NASA)?

   • About 2.9%
   • About 48%
   • About 29%
   • About 71%
6. 4.

   Where is most incoming sunlight absorbed, by Milo's reading (NASA)?

   • In the clouds, about 71%
   • At the surface, about 48%
   • At the surface, about 23%
   • In the atmosphere, about 48%
8. 5.

   What is radiative equilibrium, by Noah's reading (NASA)?

   • Incoming solar energy balanced by an equal flow of heat to space
   • Earth reflecting the sunlight it gets
   • Earth holding on to the energy it gets
   • No sunlight reaching Earth
9. 6.

   If incoming energy stayed larger than outgoing for a while, what would Earth's average temperature do, by Pia's reading (NASA)?

   Use the picture in question 5.

   • Swing wildly each day
   • Fall
   • Rise until the flows balance again
   • Stay exactly the same while incoming energy is larger
10. 7.

    How does Earth send energy back to space, by Ren's reading (NASA)?

    Use the picture in question 5.

    • By reflecting sunlight off clouds and ice, and nothing else
    • By sending ocean water to space
    • By reflecting some sunlight and radiating heat (infrared)
    • It does not send energy back

11. Use this

    Sunbeams striking the equator straight on and the poles at a slant.

12. 8.

    Why do the tropics get more solar energy per square meter than the poles, by Tala's reading (NASA)?

    • The poles are dark year-round
    • The tropics have a higher albedo
    • Sunlight strikes more directly there
    • The tropics are much closer to the Sun than the poles
13. 9.

    NASA: compared with the equator, about how much energy reaches the polar circles at an equinox, by Zee's reading?

    • About 4%
    • About 40%
    • About 90%
    • About 140%
14. 10.

    Where does Earth have a yearly energy surplus, by Esme's reading (NASA)?

    • Over sea ice
    • In the tropics
    • Equally at each latitude
    • At the poles