most of earth's landmass is in the northern hemisphere. how might this influence Earth's overall albedo during
a)June
b)January
I really don't get this question.
To understand how the Earth's landmass distribution may influence the overall albedo (reflectivity) during different months, we need to consider two factors: the tilt of the Earth's axis and the distribution of landmasses.
a) June: During this month, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun, which means it receives more direct sunlight. As a result, the landmasses in the Northern Hemisphere, which are more concentrated in that region, will experience longer days and receive more solar radiation. Land reflects less sunlight compared to bodies of water (such as oceans), which have a higher albedo. Therefore, the larger landmass in the Northern Hemisphere during June would result in a lower overall albedo, as the majority of land would absorb more sunlight and have a lower reflecting effect.
b) January: In January, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun, resulting in shorter days and less direct sunlight. The landmasses in the Northern Hemisphere receive less solar radiation, leading to cooler temperatures. As a consequence, the albedo would vary depending on the presence of snow or ice cover. Snow and ice have high albedo and reflect a significant amount of sunlight. So if the landmasses in the Northern Hemisphere have substantial snow and ice coverage during January, the overall albedo would increase due to the increased reflection of sunlight.
To summarize, during June, the larger landmass in the Northern Hemisphere would lead to a lower overall albedo, while in January, the albedo would be influenced by the presence of snow and ice cover on the landmasses in the Northern Hemisphere.