Albedo+ratio

__Characteristics__ The ratio of radiation reflected relative to the amount of incident from the surface (deforestation, melting snow, etc). The goal is to reach equilibrium between carbon dioxide and water relative to carbonic acid (H 2 CO 3 ).Albedo depends on the frequency of the radiation. When quoted unqualified, it usually refers to some appropriate average across the spectrum of visible light. In general, the albedo depends on the directional distribution of incoming radiation. Exceptions are Lambertain surfaces, which scatter radiation in all directions according to a cosine function, so their albedo does not depend on the incident distribution. In practice, a bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) may be required to characterize the scattering properties of a surface accurately, although the albedo is a very useful first approximation.

The albedo is an important concept in climatology and astronomy, as well as in calculating reflectivity of surfaces in LEED sustainable rating systems for buildings, computer graphics and computer vision. The average overall albedo of Earth, its //planetary albedo//, is 30 to 35%, because of the covering by clouds, but varies widely locally across the surface, depending on the geological and environmental features of the area. A map shows the whole albedo ratios for the world.





Solar radiation will warm the snow and ice but, that all depends on how much radiation is actually absorbed. Albedo is the term utilized to describe the ration of radiation reflected and the amount hitting a surface. The white surfaces of the polar ice caps have a very high albedo ratio; they reflect vast levels of energy very efficiently. Dark bodies such as the surface of the ocean are poor reflectors as they have a very low albedo ratio allowing them to absorb energy. High albedo is critical in maintaining the ice sheets. The East Antarctic ice sheet receives the maximum monthly input of solar radiation of anywhere else on Earth but, since most is reflected back into space, it remains the coldest place on the planet.