Albedo is the fraction of incoming sunlight that a surface or body diffusely reflects rather than absorbs, measured on a scale from 0, meaning no reflection, to 1, meaning complete reflection. Surface albedo is formally defined as the ratio of the radiation a surface reflects to the radiation it receives, and the actual proportion reflected depends not only on the properties of the surface itself but also on the spectral and angular distribution of the incoming solar radiation, which in turn varies with atmospheric composition, geographic location and time.
Facts
Connections
In Discipline
Source Albedo (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Albedo (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationAlbedo article, terminology/history discussion
The term albedo was introduced into optics by Johann Heinrich Lambert in his 1760 work Photometria.
In Discipline: Climatology, Lead paragraph
Albedo ( al-BEE-doh; from Latin albedo 'whiteness') is the fraction of sunlight that is diffusely reflected by a body.
View the Source Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.