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Surface Reflectivity
Northern Hemisphere
- Higher mean
- More variability
- Greater range in surface ice
- More time spent during higher reflectivity
- More persistent ice coverage
Consequences
- Sun closer in Northern summer -> cooler climate
- Sun closer in Southern summer -> warmer climate
Notes:
The southern ice cap is land locked by Antarctica. As such, it exhibits less variability as the climate changes. The northern ice cap is mostly over water and melts quickly as the oceans warm. In the north, land extends further south and snow cover can bootstrap the advance of surface ice. It's this asymmetric variability in the ebb and flow of ice that amplifies the solar variability which drives the climate.