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Increase Your Albedo!

Increase Your Albedo!. Exploring the Fate of Arctic Sea Ice. What is Albedo?. Albedo is the fraction of solar radiation incident on a surface that is reflected .

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Increase Your Albedo!

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  1. Increase Your Albedo! Exploring the Fate of Arctic Sea Ice

  2. What is Albedo? • Albedo is the fraction of solar radiation incident on a surface that is reflected. • In plain terms, albedo is the ability of a surface to reflect the sun’s radiation. Your white t-shirt has a higher albedo than your darker ones… that’s why it keeps you cool in the summer!

  3. Pop Quiz! • Guess which terrestrial surface type has the most albedo… (reflects more sunlight than it absorbs). • Albedo is expressed as a percentage of reflected radiation (0.1 or 10%)

  4. Pop Quiz 3-5% (50-80% sun near horizon) 30% 80% 20%

  5. The Big Picture • The Earth as a whole reflects about 30% of incoming solar radiation back into space • Clouds and snow/ice each have an albedo of roughly 80% © NASA

  6. So What? • Clouds and ice are basically the thermostats of the planet • They’re regulating the temperature of the Earth by reflecting much of the solar radiation it receives © CASES

  7. What’s Going On? • The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has made some startling observations: • Arctic sea-ice extent has decreased by 3% per decade between 1978-1996 • Summer sea-ice extent has shrunk by 20% (880,000 sq. km) in the Atlantic part of the Arctic Ocean • Arctic air temperature has risen by as much as 5˚C during the 20th century with the last decade being the warmest • There is consistent evidence of later Fall freeze-up and earlier Spring breakup

  8. What’s Next? • Loss of sea ice (80% albedo) gives way to water (3-5% albedo)! • This net loss of albedo results in further heat absorption at Earth’s surface, resulting in more sea ice melting, resulting in more warming… • It’s a positive feedback loop! © CASES

  9. What’s CASES? • The Canadian Arctic Shelf Exchange Study • A Canadian-led international research network made up more than 70 researchers from Canada and 9 other countries • Goal: Understand and model the response of biogeochemical and ecological cycles to atmospheric, oceanic and continental forcing of sea-ice cover variability on the Mackenzie Shelf • In simpler terms: Study the effects of changing sea-ice cover on the Arctic environment!

  10. Mackenzie Shelf

  11. The Amundsen • Inauguration: August 26, 2003 in Québec City • Named after Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen: 1st to navigate Northwest Passage from 1903-1906 and to reach the South Pole in 1911 • Only Canadian ship to have full-time dual role of icebreaking and scientific research

  12. The Amundsen

  13. Large-scale density-driven circulation in the oceans, driven by differences in temperature and salinity. Cold salty water sinks and warmer water rises.

  14. Maximum and Minimum Ice • Minimum in Fall (September) • Maximum in Spring (March) • Ice no longer extends as far and now retreats further • What’s in store for the future? © CASES

  15. Present and Future Ice Cover Today 2050 © CASES

  16. What’s in Store for Nanook? • Ice freezes later and melts sooner: Less feeding time • Seals fewer and farther out: Longer distance to feed • More open water: Fatigue from swimming © NFB-ONF

  17. The Northwest Passage © CASES

  18. Passage Pioneers • Roald Amundsen, August 1905, first successful navigation. Aboard the Gjoa (Oslo-Pacific). • St-Roch, 1944, Northern Deep-Water Route. • Sedna IV, August-November 2002, sailed from Magdalen Island to Vancouver. • What’s next? © CASES

  19. Oslo to Tokyo Total travel distance for a one-way trip from Norway to Japan: • Via Panama Canal: 24 000 km • Via Cape Horn: 35 000 km • Via Suez Canal (Asian Route): 21 500 km • Via Northwest Passage: 14 500 km

  20. Activity We will be drawing the most efficient (and realistic) route between the southern tip of Greenland to the Bering Strait! • Groups of 4 (or more). • You will need: String, Adhesive, Ruler. • Try to draw your own way across the Northwest Passage by navigating the shortest distance. • Good Luck!

  21. Discussion

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