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A Leak from an Oil Pipeline Is Flowing into an Alaskan

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A leak from an oil pipeline is flowing into an Alaskan lake that is approximately 1 km wide and 20 m deep. When oil spills into a body of water, much of it floats on top but some can adhere to tiny particles in the water column and be carried into deeper water. Suppose the oil leak occurs during early summer. The oil impacts not only the lake but also the surrounding vegetation, causing trees, bushes, and other plants to die off over the course of the summer. What effect would this have on the local albedo and evapotranspiration around the lake? Would you expect the lake to heat up more or less than it would during normal years? Which layer of the lake would be most affected?

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The loss of vegetation and increase in b...

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