Iceage | Cold climate Entity rhythm Clearly identified |
D
iffuse reflection variation. As the sun shines on our planet, some solar radiation will be absorbed, causing radiant object heating, while the remainder will be reflected. Insolation is a measure of solar radiation energy striking a specific surface area during a specific time period. The earth's rotation axis is tilted relative to its orbit around the sun. Radiation reaching the surface at a shallower angle covers more area with the same amount of energy, which subsequently is less concentrated. The albedo of an object is the extent to which incident electromagnetic radiation is diffusely reflected. Albedos of typical earth surface materials will range from 90% down to 4%, with snow on the high side. On average about half of the earth is covered by clouds, which generally reflect more radiation than land and ocean. Low thick clouds cool the earth by reflecting radiation, while high thin clouds may function as blankets to trap warmth. Dynamic systems are complicated.
“Albedo is a crucial factor in any climate change equation. But it is one of Earth's least-understood properties. If we don't understand albedo-related effects, then we can't understand the effects of greenhouse gases.” - Robert Charlson
