Which region is likely to experience the highest albedo effect due to its environment?

The highest albedo effect is observed in environments where surfaces reflect a significant proportion of incoming solar radiation back into the atmosphere. Mountain tops covered in snow have a very high albedo because snow is highly reflective. Typically, fresh snow can reflect about 80-90% of sunlight, meaning that very little is absorbed. This characteristic makes snow-capped mountains particularly prominent in terms of their impact on the albedo effect compared to other environments.

In contrast, desert regions, while they can reflect a fair amount of sunlight due to sandy surfaces, do not reach the same levels of reflectivity as snow. Forested areas tend to absorb more solar energy due to the darker colors of the trees and vegetation, resulting in a lower albedo. Urban areas usually consist of materials like asphalt and concrete, which also absorb more solar radiation compared to snow. Therefore, mountain tops covered in snow are the most likely to exhibit the highest albedo effect among the options provided.