Question

Describe how albedo affects the Earth’s surface temperature and its climate.

Answer 1

Albedo is the fraction of solar radiation reflected by a surface. High-albedo surfaces like snow and ice reflect most sunlight and remain cool, whereas low-albedo surfaces like dark soil and ocean water absorb more sunlight and heat up. Thus albedo strongly affects surface temperature and climate; for example, melting ice lowers albedo and causes further warming.