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Everything about Albedo
Ratio of how much light is reflected back from a body
Albedo is the fraction of sunlight that is diffusely reflected by a body. It is measured on a scale from 0 to 1. Surface albedo is defined as the ratio of radiosity Je to the irradiance Ee received by a surface. The proportion reflected is not only determined by properties of the surface itself, but also by the spectral and angular distribution of solar radiation reaching the Earth's surface. These factors vary with atmospheric composition, geographic location, and time. Wikipedia →
🧠Start here: a 6-step reading path
- Read the overview: AlbedoA 5-minute orientation
- Skim a recent paper: Optical, structural, physical, and nuclear shielding properties, and albedo parameters of TeO2–BaO–B2O3–PbO–V2O5 glassesInfluential work since 2022
- Pick up a classic book: Neutron and gamma-ray albedosThe most-reprinted book on the subject
- Read the landmark paper: Oceanic phytoplankton, atmospheric sulphur, cloud albedo and climateCited 3,537 times
- Go sideways: Cloud albedoA closely related topic
- Go sideways: Ice–albedo feedbackA closely related topic
đź“– Definitions
Noun The fraction of incident light or radiation reflected by a surface or body, commonly expressed as a percentage.
Noun The whitish inner portion of the rind of citrus fruits that is a source of pectin, commonly referred to as the pith.
Noun One of the four major stages of the magnum opus, involving purification of the prima materia.
🗂️ The subject at a glance
🏆 Landmark papers (most cited)
Oceanic phytoplankton, atmospheric sulphur, cloud albedo and climate
First operational BRDF, albedo nadir reflectance products from MODIS
Pollution and the planetary albedo
Urban climates and heat islands: albedo, evapotranspiration, and anthropogenic heat
Albedo Enhancement by Stratospheric Sulfur Injections: A Contribution to Resolve a Policy Dilemma?
Narrowband to broadband conversions of land surface albedo I
An algorithm for the retrieval of albedo from space using semiempirical BRDF models
Offset of the potential carbon sink from boreal forestation by decreases in surface albedo
🆕 Influential since 2022
Optical, structural, physical, and nuclear shielding properties, and albedo parameters of TeO2–BaO–B2O3–PbO–V2O5 glasses
Albedo changes caused by future urbanization contribute to global warming
Structural, mechanical, radiation shielding properties and albedo parameters of alumina borate glasses: Role of CeO2 and Er2O3
Recent global temperature surge intensified by record-low planetary albedo
Impact of reflective materials on urban canyon albedo, outdoor and indoor microclimates
đź“š Books worth reading
- 📕Neutron and gamma-ray albedosWade E. Selph · 1968
- 📕Near-infrared spectral geometric albedos of Charon and Pluto · 1996
- 📕Progress report to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for NAG5-1696 entitled participation in TOMS missionsRobert D. Hudson · 1994
- 📕An Earth albedo modelThomas W. Flatley · 1994
Lunar and terrestrial albedoesFrank W. Very · 1917- 📕Surface bidirectional reflectance properties of two southwestern Arizona deserts for wavelengths between 0.4 and 2.2 micrometersCharles H. Whitlock · 1987
- 📕CARP, a computer code and albedo data library for use by BREESE, the MORSE albedo packageM. B. Emmett · 1978
- 📕A tutorial solution to scattering of radiation in a thin atmosphere bounded below by a diffusely reflecting, absorbing surfaceJames J. Buglia · 1982
Ranked by number of editions on Open Library, a rough measure of how lasting a book is.
đź”— Related topics
- Cloud albedo Cloud albedo is a measure of the albedo or reflectivity of a cloud. Clouds regulate the amount of solar radiation absorbed by a planet and its solar surface…
- Ice–albedo feedback Ice–albedo feedback is a climate change feedback, in which a change in the area of ice caps, glaciers, and sea ice alters the albedo and surface temperature…
- Earth's energy budget Earth's energy budget (or Earth's energy balance) is the balance between the energy that Earth receives from the Sun and the energy the Earth loses back…
- Runaway greenhouse effect A runaway greenhouse effect occurs when a planet's atmosphere contains greenhouse gas in an amount sufficient to block thermal radiation from leaving the…
- Radiative forcing Radiative forcing (or climate forcing) is a concept used to quantify a change to the balance of energy flowing through a planetary atmosphere. Various…
- Greenhouse effect The greenhouse effect occurs when heat-trapping gases in a planet's atmosphere prevent the planet from losing heat to space, raising its surface temperature…
- Geometric albedo In astronomy, the geometric albedo of a celestial body is the ratio of its actual brightness as seen from the light source (i.e. at zero phase angle) to…
- Glacial geoengineering Glacial geoengineering is a set of proposed geoengineering approaches that focus on slowing the loss of glaciers, ice sheets, and sea ice in polar regions…