Stockton University

The Albedo Effect

How does it affect climate change?

Alexandrea Cannon

ENVL 2105-01 ᐧ Physical Geography

Dr. Emma Witt

24 April 2017
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Abstract

Climate change is rapidly increasing and we have been taking notice of the effects for

years. Due to the destruction of land and the release of pollution into the air, the earth is

changing the way it regulates its temperature. Anthropogenic disruption is truly one of the

biggest causes in the recent studies of climatic change. Humans have destroyed so much of the

Earth’s necessary elements and boundaries. Surface albedo is an important process for the

respiration and regulation of Earth. The alteration of surface albedo will be the predominant

forcing for climate change in current and future generations. Lack of recognition for these issues

has set back efforts to restore the damaged. Taking efforts to stop the rapid incline of climate

change due to albedo, such as replacing materials in urban cities with more reflective substances

and altering our farming habits, can begin the positive change needed to sustain the earth we live

on.

Introduction

Climate disruption is evident through endless results of experiments and research. Melted

snow, rising waters, Earth’s temperature getting warmer, and greenhouse gases are popular

topics that arise in that conversation. But do we ever hear about the effects of albedo? The

amount of disruption in each biome, in each hemisphere, is becoming more evident as the years

pass. Earth is continuing to get warmer, causing mass global changes on the surface and
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atmosphere. One of the leading factors of that change, that has rapidly increased climate

disruption, is the decrease of albedo. Albedo is the subject of both variables, cause and effect.

It’s one of the more unique subjects because it has its own positive feedback loop.

The atmosphere and the surface of Earth play a competitive game. The sun interacts with

albedo, providing energy to the planet. Albedo reflects light back into the atmosphere to warm

the air and cool the grounds. But when the atmosphere is contaminated with toxins, the sun’s

rays bend differently and come to the ground with more force than normal, making the albedo

numbers shift and sink. The ground then begins to warm, ice begins to melt, and waters begin to

rise. Climates begin to shift around the world and it all has to do with the rate at which light is

reflected and the rate at which humans change the earth's surface.

What is Albedo and Why Does it Matter?

Albedo is the measurement of reflectivity of solar radiation from the planet's surface back

into space (albedo=reflected energy/incoming energy). The Earth naturally reflects radiation

from the sun that hits the ground and bounces back into the atmosphere. Depending on the

numeric value of surface albedo, the amount reflected from Earth changes. It has to do with the

color of the surface as well as its ability to repel radiative waves. As learned from a young age,

darker colors get hotter faster, that’s why we don’t willingly walk on the pavements in the

summer with no shoes on. We can use the same concept here. Darker surfaces have a lower

albedo than surfaces that are lighter in color, such as the Arctics. The poles are constantly cooler

than other parts of the world, and that is primarily because of albedo and its distance from the

sun. The measurement of albedo in that location is around 0.6/1.0, meaning it reflects about 60%
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of energy. When the surface albedo of an area is low, it indicates that the sun’s radiation is being

reflected in small amounts. An area with a high albedo (a 1.0 albedo is 100% reflectivity), allows

the heat from the sun to bounce back more often than being absorbed into the ground. The

changing albedo on Earth’s surface, gravely affects the way in which the Earth naturally

regulates its temperature. Without this system of absorbing the reflecting the Earth would be

extremely cold during the winter and exceptionally warm in the summer months.

Climate has a large spectrum for possible threats and variables. The study of its changes

and characteristics has been ongoing for many decades. Scientists have had an extensive

knowledge of albedo and have known the effects albedo has on the environment for decades.

With the lack of global education and recognition, the climate continues to change and efforts

put in now will only help decades in the future. The rate at which the change of climate is

happening, is increasing too rapidly for mankind to keep up with it.

What Affects Albedo?

When it comes to the causes of albedo there are two major factors that affect it, pollution

and people. These two things have become apart of a mass destruction in all environments for

many, many years. Humans have changed and disturbed the layout of the land and texture of the

surface since the beginning of their existence. As time progresses, we are able to manifest

machines to only push further the damage we have created.

The greenhouse gases being emitted from the machines and processes made by people,

are affecting the way the sun’s longwave radiation reaches the Earth. It is intensifying the rays,

putting more energy on the surface decreasing albedo. For example, snow melts when it gets hot.
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If there is a large amount of snow, high albedo, in a predominantly cold place and it begins to

warm up, the snow will begin to melt. In turn, leaving the ice thinner and the ground more

prominent. Having a lower albedo, the surface temperature will increase. This pollution Some

atmospheric particles can reflect incoming solar radiation (​"Atmospheric science: Black carbon

and brown clouds." p.15). Brown clouds are areas of a high concentration of aerosol particles in

the atmosphere. Particles such as black carbon, the predominant heat absorbing source in the

aerosols, create the problems coming from fossil-fuel burning and biofuel combustion. These

clouds are generally caused by the buildup of greenhouse gases (GHG’s).

The black carbon doesn’t only get trapped in the atmosphere. It gets trapped in the snow,

all around the globe, along with soot and other toxins. The amount of soot and black carbon

present in the snow changes the fraction of radiation absorbed and reflected back into space. Soot

is actually twice as powerful as CO2 (​"Soot climate forcing via snow and ice albedos." p.427).

Having a large quantity mixed internally with the snow drastically affects the albedo, on a

physical matter. Physically, a large amount of black components in sheer snow and ice can

change the color enough to change the amount of radiation absorbed as well as rebounded. Thick

sea can reflect up to 90% of incoming solar energy.

Changing Albedo

Albedo is most prevalent in the areas of heavy anthropogenic activity. Since humans

began irrigating and industrializing the Earth’s surface has constantly been changing. Over long

periods of time, the places around the globe with the most rapidly decreasing albedo, absorb
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more and more heat energy and warm up quicker. This causes these areas to change, primarily

from humans, secondary from naturally processes.

During the times when humans began to irrigate the land and harvest, it only seemed as a

positive outcome. Their family was going to get fed and and they’d survive. Now, while doing

extensive research, we’ve discovered that the brush covering the ground protects the dark soils to

dry up and absorb heat. The more humans have remove trees and brush for farming and shelter,

the more the sunlight will be able to reach the ground and penetrate the soils. Farming, irrigation,

and use of all natural resources changes ecosystems. Farmers are lowering the albedo of those

areas by taking away the reflective leaves of the brush. Now those areas have multiplied and

spread in endless numbers throughout the world causing an increase in temperature in those areas

and the atmosphere.

Have you ever walked on the street with no shoes on and realized that it was a bad idea?

That was the asphalt absorbing the heat because of it’s low albedo. The invention of paved roads

has created a magnificent source of transportation, but it’s also caused urban warming.

Pavements and roofs constitute about 60% of urban surfaces (“Global Cooling​: increasing

world-wide urban albedos to offset CO 2.​” p.275). These urban cities made entirely of black

pavement and dark roofs are hotspots for extremely low albedo and high heat indexes.

The Poles and the ocean bordering areas of the world are experiencing the worst of

climate change. The slowly melting caps and dissolving sheets of ice are creating an increase in

sea level. The oceans absorb the heat from the sun, making the coastal areas warm with it, faster

than interior ecosystems. Water has a high heating capacity. Because of its transparency though,

the ocean tends to absorb a large amount of radiant energy.

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During an experiment on Lake Superior, Jay Austin and Steven Colman, measured the air

temperature, water temperature, and wind velocity of seven different buoys among the lake.

What they found what that the air temperature correlated with the water temperature. Their

evidence proved that the water was absorbing the heat at a significant rate which then released

heat into the air around the lake (“​Lake Superior summer water temperatures are increasing more

rapidly than regional air temperatures: A positive ice-albedo feedback​”). All water, whether

fresh or salt, relates to each other. Their experiment allowed scientists to prove that the oceans

bordering all the contents are increasing the temperature at higher rates than normal.

Efforts to Stop Decreasing Albedo

Lots of efforts have been made to slow climate disruption, even to try and stop it

completely. But changing a surface's albedo is not as simple as reducing your individual carbon

footprint. Understanding the process of this reflectivity is important to understanding how to

stop it. It is the first step that needs to be taken; educating the public. Repairing the global energy

balance is going to be a challenge.

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The images above are representing the amount of energy reflected off of the surface

during the months of January and July. In the above images the area that has the most prominent

difference is the Arctic Sea. The colors represented span from violet (being a low albedo) to

white (being 100% reflection back into the atmosphere). During the coldest month of the year,

January, the Arctic Ocean is icy, reflecting a ton of energy back. It hold an average of about

60-100% reflectivity. Then looking at the hottest summer month, July, the ocean gets warmer,

dropping to 30-40% reflectivity. The summer months are the most dangerous, because when the

ice melts on the ocean its albedo plummets, allowing heat to be absorbed. In order to stop those

tragic ice-cap melts, the exhaust of pollution (i.e. soot, black carbon, and CO2) needs to seise or

be depleted by immense numbers. Stopping the toxins from building up in the ozone layer can

stop the sun radiation from being so intense when it reaches the ground, spiking a rapid melting

process.

Starting now to increasing the albedo of rooftops and streets can bring great outcomes in

the end. Changing the surfaces can offset CO2 emissions from the large amount of vehicles in

the cities. It can also lower the costs of energy used in the urban cities during the warmer

months. The heat being trapped in the streets and rooftops, getting rid of some of the dark

surfaces that are absorbing the energy would decline the need of an excess amount of electricity

for air conditioners.

While working on efforts to decrease pollution and increase reflectivity of urban areas,

we can work on repairing the depletion of albedo on the anthropogenic harvestation. Instead of

leaving bare dark soils to take in the sun and dry up, all farmers should take action in planting
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cover crops and or covering their fields with crop cover cloths. Any step in the right direction is

a big step. All the efforts being taken in the world will go a long way. The areas surrounding the

large agricultural towns, will see and feel the difference. The cooler temperatures and less

drought. Albedo plays a big part in regulating temp, which then affects almost everything else in

the world.

Conclusion

Surface albedo is a serious issue in the altering climate. Changing the amount of radiation

reflected back into space can positively decrease the amount of heat absorbed into the earth.

Beginning efforts to change surface reflectivity is a positive start to reducing the rate at which

climate change is happening. Even though scientists have had knowledge of this phenomenon for

decades, no real actions have been taken to counteract the progress. Educating the people on

what albedo is and how they can change it, is just as important as understanding how it affects

the climate disruption. We need to start taking action to reflect the energy away from the ground,

instead of continuing actions that are helping the energy be absorbed. As a result of this work, I

hope to bring knowledge to those who are unaware of these events and spark an interest in the

restoration process..

References

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