The Ice Albedo Feedback Loop

 

The coldest parts of our planet are covered in ice all year. Because ice is a light colour, it reflects the sun’s heat energy back into space, which helps keep the Earth cooler. But when the temperature rises, the ice starts to melt, exposing water or land underneath. The surfaces colour is darker than ice, causing it to absorb heat instead of reflecting it, making the Earth hotter rather than cooler. The amount of light a surface reflects is called its albedo. As Earth’s temperature continues to rise, more ice melts. With less ice to reflect the sun’s heat, while surfaces and sea absorb it, Earth’s temperature continues to warm it even further. Scientists say by 2040, the North Pole could be completely ice-free each summer. This feedback loop operates more slowly at the South Pole because there is more ice over Antarctica.