Albedo

In meteorology and climatology, albedo refers to the measure of the reflectivity or brightness of a surface. It is the proportion of the incoming solar radiation that is reflected by a surface, back into space. Albedo is a dimensionless factor that ranges from 0 for a perfectly absorbing (dark) surface, to 1 for a perfectly reflective (white) surface. Different surfaces on Earth have different albedo values; for instance, fresh snow, which is highly reflective, has a high albedo (up to about 0.9), while the ocean surface, which absorbs more sunlight, has a low albedo (around 0.06). Albedo plays a key role in Earth’s energy balance and influences global and regional climates. Changes in the Earth’s albedo, due to both natural processes and human activities, can contribute to climate change.