Albedo

Albedo measures the reflectivity of a surface on a scale of 0 to 1, with a global average of about 0.3. It is crucial to climate regulation, as decreasing reflectivity—such as melting ice replacing with dark water—accelerates global warming through a feedback loop. For an analysis of the albedo effect and global warming, visit Greenly .

Here is how it works: A warming climate causes sea ice and glaciers to melt. As the bright white ice retreats, it exposes the dark blue ocean or dark brown soil beneath. Since the ocean has a much lower albedo (0.06) than ice (0.80), it absorbs far more solar radiation instead of reflecting it. This absorption heats the water further, which in turn melts more ice, exposing more dark water, which leads to more heating. It is a vicious, accelerating cycle. Albedo

The albedo of Earth varies significantly based on the color and texture of its surfaces: High Albedo: Albedo measures the reflectivity of a surface on