Terrestrial surface albedo dynamics [in “State of the Climate in 2024”]
The terrestrial surface albedo is a key variable controlling the amount of radiative energy absorbed by Earth's surface. Defined as the nondimensional ratio of reflected solar radiation to incident irradiance, the terrestrial surface albedo is influenced by a range of factors. An increase in vegetation density causes a “darkening” effect (negative anomalies) in the visible spectrum (0.3 µm–0.7 µm), as vegetation absorbs more radiation, while near-infrared (0.7 µm–5.0 µm) albedo increases slightly, due to healthy vegetation’s higher reflectivity. In contrast, desertification or snow-covered surfaces result in a greater shortwave (0.3 µm–5.0 µm) albedo.
CAPPUCCI Fabrizio;
URRACA VALLE Ruben;
GOBRON Nadine;
2025-08-01
AMER METEOROLOGICAL SOC
JRC142716
1520-0477 (online),
https://www.ametsoc.org/ams/publications/bulletin-of-the-american-meteorological-society-bams/state-of-the-climate/,
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC142716,
10.1175/BAMS-D-25-0102.1 (online),
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