Alfred Wegener Institute: Rapid surge in global warming mainly due to reduced planetary albedo

[OKIsItJustMe]

4. Well, we've always known about certain albedo feedbacks

Like, warmer temperatures melt the Arctic ice cap, the albedo of snow/ice is roughly 90%, and the albedo of open seawater is like 10%. So, more sunlight is captured, meaning more heat, which melts more ice…

The relationship between clouds and global warming has always been a bit fuzzy, due to its complexity. As the air warms, that leads to more evaporation, which may lead to more clouds, which might warm or cool the planet… Hmmm…

So, we’ve focused primarily on “Greenhouse Gases,” which were better understood.