Land surface albedo dynamics

The land surface albedo represents the fraction of solar radiation scattered backward by land surfaces. In the presence of vegetation, surface albedo results from complex nonlinear radiation transfer processes. These determine the amount of radiation that is scattered by the vegetation and its background, transmitted through the vegetation layer, or absorbed by the vegetation layer and its background. The geographical distribution of normalized anomalies in visible and near-infrared surface albedo for 2013, calculated with respect to the 2003–13 base period. Mid- and high latitude regions of the Northern Hemisphere are characterized by both positive and negative anomalies mainly as a consequence of interannual variations in snow cover, amount, and duration in winter and spring seasons.

PINTY Bernard; 

2016-03-02

AMER METEOROLOGICAL SOC

JRC93429

0003-0007,   

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/bams-state-of-the-climate/2013.php,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC93429,