Long description

This figure shows the ice–albedo feedback loop. On the left-hand side of the figure, part (a), a bar chart shows the albedo of different substances. The albedo of dry snow is about 82%, the albedo of wet snow is about 73%, the albedo of bare ice is about 65%, the albedo of new melt ponds is about 40%, the albedo of mature melt ponds is about 20% and the albedo of open water is about 6%. On the right-hand side of the figure, part (b), three boxes are joined together by arrows to form a loop. Box 1 is coloured yellow and labelled ‘increase in absorbed sunlight’. From this box an arrow points to box 2 which is labelled ‘melting of sea ice’. An arrow from this box points to the third box which is labelled ‘lowered albedo’ which then has another arrow back to box 1. By linking the three boxes and the albedos of the various ice components we can see that an increased melting will reduce the albedo which means more sunlight is absorbed, leading to further melting.