Question

Which part of Earth most likely has the highest albedo value?

smooth ocean ice when the Sun is at a 30-degree angle
smooth ocean ice when the Sun is at a 15-degree angle
choppy ocean water when the Sun is at a 30-degree angle
choppy ocean water when the Sun is at a 15-degree angle

Answers

GPT-4o mini
Albedo is a measure of how much sunlight is reflected by a surface. Surfaces with high albedo reflect more sunlight, while those with low albedo absorb more. Among the options you've provided, smooth ocean ice would generally have a higher albedo compared to choppy ocean water.

Specifically, between the two states of smooth ocean ice, the angle of the Sun can affect the effective albedo. However, smooth surfaces typically reflect sunlight more efficiently than rough surfaces.

Therefore, **smooth ocean ice when the Sun is at a 15-degree angle** would likely still have a higher albedo value compared to choppy ocean water at either angle (30 or 15 degrees).

So, the part of Earth most likely to have the highest albedo value is: **smooth ocean ice when the Sun is at a 15-degree angle**.

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