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EARTH SCIENCE > ATMOSPHERE > ATMOSPHERIC RADIATION > ALBEDO  

Definition

  • Albedo is the ratio of the radiation (radiant energy or luminous energy) reflected by a surface to that incident on it. Snow and cloud surfaces have a high albedo, because most of the energy of the visible solar spectrum is reflected. Vegetation and ocean surfaces have low albedo, because they absorb a large fraction of the energy. Clouds are the chief cause of variations in the Earth's albedo.

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https://vocab.met.no/GCMDSK/48c16952-b6e0-40cd-b6dd-7cdbf5a443a1

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