How Do Albedo Effects Influence Global Warming?

Albedo is a measure of the degree to which a given object or area reflects electromagnetic radiation impacting upon it.

In environmental analysis, albedo effects are singled out as having potentially significant effects on global warming. Much of the sunlight arriving on Earth is reflected back into space. If sunlight is not reflected, it is absorbed, thus contributing to a temperature increase.

Snow and ice, being white, naturally reflect light very well. On a global scale, the sheets of snow and ice on land and water play an important role in reducing average temperatures. Scientists fear, however, that as global warming drives temperatures up worldwide, snow and ice will melt and be replaced by darker, and therefore less reflective, land mass or water. This will cause temperatures to rise even further, creating an unhelpful positive feedback effect.

Conversely, if average temperatures could somehow be brought down, more snow and ice would form, increasing the earth's albedo and causing temperatures to fall even further.

Albedo is the amount of electromagnetic radiation or sunlight that is reflected by the surface of the object.

In Environmentalism, albedo have a significant impact in the rise in global warming. It serves as a blanket to trap warmth. This increases the global temperature to a few degrees, causing the icebergs and icecaps to melt, increasing the water level as a result. This also result in the flooding along coastal areas.