INTAROS E-Learning Module 4.1

JavaScript isn't enabled in your browser, so this file can't be opened. Enable and reload.

Albedo Measurements
Test how much you have learned after following the e-learning module.

1. What is the Arctic Amplification?

1 point

The Arctic sea-ice cover is extending more than in the past

The Arctic is warming faster due to cloud radiative forcing

The climate warming in the Arctic is faster than the global mean

Positive feedback effects related to snow and ice albedo amplify climate warming only in the Arctic

Climate warming in the Arctic is amplified by heat transport from mid-latitudes

2. What is the surface albedo?

1 point

The time of the sunrise over a point in the Earth’s surface

The solar radiation absorbed by the surface

The solar radiation reflected from the surface

The ratio between reflected and incident solar radiation at the surface

The net radiation budget at the surface (i.e. the sum of the four components of the surface radiation budget).

3. What is the Ice-albedo feedback?

1 point

A climate feedback that arises from the fact that solar radiation increases sea ice surface temperature, which contributes to summertime climate warming in the Arctic

A climate feedback that arises from the fact that ice is more reflective (that is, has a higher albedo) than land or water surfaces. Therefore, as ice cover decreases, the reflectivity of Earth’s surface decreases, more incoming solar radiation is absorbed by the surface, and the surface warms, further decreasing the ice cover

A climate feedback that arises from the fact that ice and snow thermally insulate the ocean, reducing the heat lost from the ocean to the atmosphere during the Arctic dark season. This causes the near-surface atmosphere over the Arctic ocean to cool in winter down to -40 ºC

A climate feedback that arises from the fact that reduction of surface albedo is partly compensated by reduction of sea ice cover

A climate feedback that arises from the fact that ice clouds reflect incoming solar radiation more strongly than liquid water clouds

4. In case of a 1m thick snowpack, what is the snow parameter that has the strongest impact on snow albedo?

1 point

Snow surface roughness

bSnow density

Optically equivalent snow grain size, or snow specific surface area

Shape of the optically equivalent snow grain

Snow liquid water content

Clear selection

5. Over Arctic sea-ice in spring (March-May), what is the surface parameter that has the strongest impact on the surface albedo?

1 point

Snow thickness when snow is less than 20 cm, optical equivalent grain size when snow is thicker than 20 cm

Ice thickness

Ice thickness when snow is less than 20 cm, optical equivalent grain size when snow is thicker than 20 cm

Ice thickness when snow is less than 20 cm, snow density when snow is thicker than 20 cm

Melt pond fraction

Clear selection

6. Over Arctic sea-ice in summer (July-August), what is the surface parameter that has the strongest impact on the surface albedo?

1 point

Snow thickness when snow is less than 20 cm, optical equivalent grain size when snow is thicker than 20 cm

Ice thickness

Ice thickness when snow is less than 20 cm, optical equivalent grain size when snow is thicker than 20 cm

Ice thickness when snow is less than 20 cm, snow density when snow is thicker than 20 cm

Melt pond fraction

Clear selection

7. Which of the following has the highest albedo?

1 point

melt pond

white ice

ocean surface

fresh snow

old snow

Clear selection

8. Which of the following has the lowest albedo?

1 point

melt pond

white ice

ocean surface

fresh snow

old snow

Clear selection

9. What is the time scale on which snow metamorphism takes place?

1 point

minutes

hours

days

weeks

all of the above

Clear selection

10. What happen when it rains?

1 point

Albedo decreases on snow and white ice, but increase on frozen melt ponds

Albedo decreases on all snow and ice surfaces

Albedo increases on all snow and ice surfaces

Albedo increases on snow and white ice but remains unchanged on frozen ponds

Albedo decreases only if the snow layer is thinner than 5 cm

Clear selection

11. Which of the following statements related to surface roughness is not true?

1 point

Surface roughness affects the surface albedo in conditions of direct solar illumination (clear of partly clear sky)

Surface roughness affects the surface albedo under both direct and diffuse solar illumination (clear, partly clear, and totally cloudy sky)

Surface roughness affects the surface microwave backscattered radiation

Surface roughness affects the near surface air flow

Surface roughness at different scales impacts different processes

Clear selection

12. Which of the following instruments or methods cannot be used to measure the snow microstructure (or optical equivalent grain size, or specific surface area)?

1 point

SnowMicroPen

Ingestion of spectral albedo measurements in inverted radiative transfer models

Thermometer

X-ray micro-computer tomography (MicroCT)

Near Infrared photography

Clear selection

13. What is the sea-ice Surface Scattering Layer (SSL)?

1 point

A layer of highly scattering snow over the less scattering bare sea-ice

A layer of highly scattering fresh snow over less scattering and older metamorphosed snow

A layer of metamorphosed ice that has higher albedo than snow

The layer of new ice formed at the surface of melt ponds at the starting of the freeze up period

The surface of bare sea-ice during the period of ice melting and metamorphism

Clear selection

14. Which of the following statements related to snow and sea-ice surface metamorphism is not true?

1 point

During sea-ice surface metamorphism driven by above zero temperature and absorption of solar radiation, darker sea-ice replaces the sea ice surface scattering layer

During sea-ice surface metamorphism driven by above zero temperature and absorption of solar radiation, new snow quickly melts away

During sea-ice surface metamorphism driven by above zero temperature and absorption of solar radiation, the average albedo of sea ice decreases

During sea-ice surface metamorphism driven by above zero temperature and absorption of solar radiation, the melt pond fraction increases

During sea-ice surface metamorphism driven by above zero temperature and absorption of solar radiation, the sea-ice surface scattering layer forms and continuously melts and renews

Clear selection

15. In which application sea-ice albedo measurements are not needed?

1 point

Quantification of the amount of light penetrating in the ocean through the ice

Quantification of the surface energy budget

Modelling of the greenhouse gas emission in the Arctic atmosphere

Modelling of the life cycle of biota living in and below the sea-ice

Modelling of the sea-ice melting

Clear selection

Submit

Clear form

This content is neither created nor endorsed by Google. Report Abuse - Terms of Service - Privacy Policy

Forms