Sea ice keeps the polar regions cool and helps moderate global climate. Sea ice has a much brighter surface compared to many other Earth surfaces, particularly the surrounding ocean. The darker ocean reflects only 6 percent of the sun’s energy and absorbs the rest, while sea ice reflects 50 to 70 percent of the incoming energy.

-- https://nsidc.org/learn/parts-cryosphere/sea-ice/quick-facts-about-sea-ice

[–] PhineaZ@kbin.social 2 points 1 year ago

Thank you very much, i was looking for this comment. The issue with 1°, 1.5°, 2° C of warming is that at some point you will break a critical level where the process is greatly accelerated because less/no sunlight is reflected by the ice caps, further increasing the energy absorption. This is especially apparent in Greenland and the Alps (and probably other glaciers), where the uncovered earth now absorbs WAY more light than the sheets of ice did, thus essentially making the melting process irreversible (at least in our comprehension).

[–] Invalid@kbin.social 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I suppose but if you are reflecting it into greenhouse gases then the air temperatures go up instead.

[–] BasicTraveler@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Not really. Greenhouse gases don't absorb all wavelengths of light. Generally they only absorb parts of the IR spectrum. The 50-70% of light reflected isn't absorbed by greenhouse gasses because it's not in a wavelength that it can absorb, it mostly radiates back into space.

[–] Invalid@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

Ah, and much of that energy would be absorbed on the way in. So the additional energy absorbed on the way out depends on how the surface material changes the reflected light or later radiates the absorbed energy.