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albedo
albedo
albedo The proportion of
insolation that is reflected back from the Earth, from the tops of the clouds, and from the atmosphere, without heating the receiving surface. It averages about 30 per cent, but varies widely according to the substance and texture of the surface, and the angle and wavelength of the incident radiation. The value for green grass and forest is 8–27 per cent (over 30 per cent for yellowing deciduous forest in autumn); for cities and rock surfaces 12–18 per cent (over 40 per cent for chalk and light-coloured rock and buildings); for sand up to 40 per cent; for fresh, flat snow up to 90 per cent; and for calm water only 2 per cent in the case of vertically incident radiation but up to 78 per cent where there is a low angle of incidence. The albedo for cloud surfaces averages 55 per cent, but can be up to 80 per cent for thick
stratocumulus.
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Albedo
Encyclopedia entry from: The Gale Encyclopedia of Science
...planet. If, therefore, the albedo were to increase, the temperature...surface would drop. If the albedo were to decrease, temperature...Enceladus, has the highest albedo of any body in the Solar System...water ice. Some asteroids have albedos as low as .05% See also .
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albedo
Book article from: A Dictionary of Astronomy
...from it. In general, the albedo is equal to the amount of...amount of light received. Albedo values range from 0.0...atmospheres have much higher albedos than those with transparent or no atmospheres. The albedo may vary over the surface...
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geometrical albedo
Book article from: A Dictionary of Astronomy
geometrical albedo A measure of the reflectivity of a surface, particularly that...planet, a satellite, or an asteroid; also called physical albedo . The geometrical albedo is the ratio between the light or other radiation reflected from...
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albedo feature
Book article from: A Dictionary of Astronomy
albedo feature A feature on a planet that is markedly...darker or brighter than its surroundings. Albedo features do not always correspond to a topographic...or geological feature, as differences in albedo can arise from variations in surface composition...
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Bond albedo
Book article from: A Dictionary of Astronomy
Bond albedo The fraction of the total light or other...all directions; also called spherical albedo . It is calculated over all wavelengths...spectrum of the incident radiation. The Bond albedo determines the energy balance of a body...
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