The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent
vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums
here.
We now return to our regularly scheduled PA Forums. Please let me (Hahnsoo1) know if something isn't working. The Holiday Forum will remain up until January 10, 2025.
Posts
Why does them not seeing the sun for half the year matter?
They see it all the time for the other half.
Does a low angle of incidence increase reflection?
but they're listening to every word I say
Yeah this is from a few pages back, but now I know what those huge goddamn monster spiders are that I find in the house once or twice a year. Most of them only had seven legs, too, they must not get along too well with the stray cats here.
1) The polar ice caps are not a neglible size, they are not a majority of the earth's surface by any means, but over the six months the difference between the energy reflected by the albedo effect DOES add up, considerably. If this energy were instead absorbed - consider the fact that it only takes a few degrees to dramatically alter the paths of currents, and you have a huge knock on effect which results in some parts of the earth dropping in temperature rapidly and others heating quickly.
2) The albedo effect is very real and quite powerful.