Question

Describe the general trend for the average insolation reflected by the Greenland ice sheet from 2006 to 2012 and state what can be inferred about the change in size of the Greenland ice sheet during this time period. [1]

Answer 1

It is clear that from 2006 to 2012, the average insolation reflected by the Greenland ice sheets is decreasing. This indicates that each year, the amount of solar radiation that the ice sheets are able to reflect is decreasing. The level of insolation reflected is dependent on the area of ice sheets capable of reflecting the solar energy. Since the insolation reflected has decreased, this may mean that the area of the ice sheets has decreased as well.