1 of 14

Ice Drilling Program

School of Ice

​

Earth’s Energy Balance

Albedo

SOI-Dartmouth-2023

​

www.icedrill-education.org

2 of 14

Your Classroom Ideas

Earth’s Energy Balance Bill G

Are temperature and energy synonyms?

3 of 14

Object/Surface Description

Temperature (Deg C)

​

Exploring Inside Temperature

Find five non-living things in the building that have different temperatures.

Earth’s Energy Balance Bill G

Your Classroom Ideas

Temperature Range = ___________

​

What are some reasons why different objects/surfaces have different temperatures?

Exploring Outside Temperature

Find five non-living things outside that have different temperatures.

Object/Surface Description

Temperature (Deg C)

​

Object/Surface Description

Temperature (Deg C)

​

Temperature Range = ___________

​

What are some reasons why different objects/surfaces have different temperatures?

4 of 14

​

Exploring Albedo

Find five non-living things in the building that have different albedos.

Earth’s Energy Balance Bill G

Your Classroom Ideas

5 of 14

Taking a measurement with the Albedo App

Data collection will consist of a “Gray Card” measurement, a “Surface” measurement, and analysis.  Open up the Albedo App and click “Collect Data.”

​

    • Click on “Gray Card” and take a photo your gray card (The gray color should fill the box that shows up on your screen. Make sure there are no shadows in your picture.)
    • Click on “Surface” and take a photo of your surface of interest. (Make sure the surface fills the little box that shows up on the screen, no shadows.) 
    • Click “Analyze Images.” Give your measurement a name that corresponds to the surface. The display should look like the image to the right. The plot shows the albedo in different wavelengths and data table with values. Scroll through to see broad albedo as well as the albedo in blue, red and green wavelengths.

​

6 of 14

Exploring Temperature and Albedo Outside

Find five non-living things outside in the sun that have different albedos. Record both albedo and temperature below.

Object/Surface

Description

Temperature

(Deg C)

​

Broad

Albedo

​

Page #

Earth’s Energy Balance Bill G

Your Classroom Ideas

Exploring Temperature and Albedo Outside

Based on the data collected, what type of relationship exists between temperature and albedo?

7 of 14

Albedo Explorations

  • What are some ways that we could change the albedo of the ice surface in the sample above?
  • Predict how each change to the albedo would change the rate of melting.
  • Design an experiment to test one of your predictions.

Earth’s Energy Balance Bill G

Your Classroom Ideas

8 of 14

Page #

Which roof would have the higher albedo?

What are some ways that these different albedos could affect these buildings?

9 of 14

Page #

Which year would the September ice cap have the lower albedo?

What are some ways that these different albedos could affect the ocean?

10 of 14

How might a change like this affect the Earth’s energy balance?

How would you predict the albedo of Greenland to change if/when all the ice melts?

Feedback loops

11 of 14

Ice Drilling Program

School of Ice

​

Earth’s Energy Balance

SOI-Dartmouth-2023

​

www.icedrill-education.org

12 of 14

Ice Drilling Program

School of Ice

​

Earth’s Energy Balance

SOI-Dartmouth-2023

​

www.icedrill-education.org

13 of 14

Page #

Earth’s Energy Balance Bill G

Object/Surface Description

Albedo (broad)

​

Exploring Albedo

Find five non-living things in the building that have different albedos.

​

Albedo Range = ___________

What are some reasons why different objects/surfaces may have different albedos?

​

​

Your Classroom Ideas

Explaining Albedo (Operational definition)

How would you explain or define albedo based on this exploration?

14 of 14

Debate

Temp. and Energy

Exploring

Temperature

Exploring

Albedo

Exploring

Energy

Pre-Lab Explorations

(Developing skills and vocabulary.)