1. how does a land covered in ice affect climate? why?
The ground is always at 0 degrees C or below which makes the air cold above it. (Of course it is the cold air which keeps the ice frozen)
There is not much water evaporated from the ice so there is little water vapor rising into the air from the ground. Unless there is water vapor blown in from elsewhere by wind, the air will be very dry (a cold desert like Antarctica). If there is a warm ocean upwind, the air will be moist and a lot of snow will fall (like Greenland).
grassland
A land covered in ice, such as ice sheets and glaciers, can have significant effects on climate. Here's why:
1. Albedo Effect: Ice has a high albedo, meaning it reflects a large amount of sunlight back into space. This reflection prevents the land surface from absorbing sunlight and keeps the surrounding atmosphere cool. In turn, this helps maintain lower temperatures in the region.
2. Feedback Mechanisms: Ice acts as a feedback mechanism in the climate system. When the planet's temperature decreases, it causes more ice to form, which leads to further cooling. Conversely, if the temperature rises, ice begins to melt, exposing darker surfaces underneath, which absorb more sunlight and contribute to further warming.
3. Ocean Circulation: The melting of land ice, such as glaciers and ice sheets, adds freshwater to the ocean. The influx of freshwater affects the density and salinity of seawater, potentially disrupting the global ocean circulation patterns, known as thermohaline circulation or the ocean conveyor belt. This circulation plays a crucial role in redistributing heat around the planet.
4. Sea Level Rise: As land ice melts and flows into the oceans, it contributes to sea-level rise. Rising sea levels can have profound impacts on coastal areas, resulting in increased coastal erosion, saltwater intrusion into freshwater resources, and threats to coastal ecosystems and human populations.
Understanding these effects requires integrating scientific knowledge from various fields, including climate modeling, oceanography, and glaciology. Scientists use climate models that simulate the interactions between ice-covered land, oceans, and the atmosphere to study the complex relationship between ice cover and climate.