How much solar radiation does snow reflect and how much incoming solar radiation is reflected off of snow and ice on Earth and radiated back out into space?
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Snow and ice can reflect 50- 90% of incoming sunlight. More than 80 to 90 percent of the sunlight falling on fresh snow is reflected back into space, compared to 15 to 35 percent of the sunlight reflected by most ice. The darker ocean reflects only 6 percent of the sun's energy and absorbs the rest, while sea ice reflects 50 to 70 percent of the incoming energy. Snow has an even higher ability to reflect solar energy than sea ice. Snow-covered sea ice reflects as much as 90 percent of the incoming solar radiation. Snow reflects more of the sun's energy because it is white and more 'reflective' than the darker ground surface beneath. In fact, snow is the most reflective natural surface on Earth. Snow's high reflectivity helps Earth's energy balance because it reflects solar energy back into space, which helps cool the planet. Snow's albedo, or how much sunlight it reflects back into the atmosphere, is very high, reflecting 80 to 90 percent of the incoming sunlight. Snow and ice have the highest albedos of any parts of Earth's surface: Some parts of Antarctica reflect up to 90% of incoming solar radiation. The solar radiation that passes through Earth's atmosphere is either reflected off snow, ice, or other surfaces or is absorbed by the Earth's surface.Radiation decreases with increasing depth of snow due to extinction (absorption). The intensity of radiation in snow decreases exponentially with depth. Depending on density and snow grain characteristics, the extinction coefficient varies between 20 and 150/m. Snow and ice can reflect 50- 90% of incoming sunlight. As the Earth's average temperature rises, snow and ice cover decreases, increasing the amount sunlight being absorbed, and further contributing to global warming. Snow-covered surfaces on the ice sheet reflect 80% of insolation back to space, while snow-free surfaces have lower albedo. Bare ice has an albedo of about 40% and even lower albedo if summer melts water pools are standing on the surface. Thus, about 71 percent of the total incoming solar energy is absorbed by the Earth system. Of the 340 watts per square meter of solar energy that falls on the Earth, 29% is reflected back into space, primarily by clouds, but also by other bright surfaces and the atmosphere itself. At Earth's average distance from the Sun (about 150 million kilometers), the average intensity of solar energy reaching the top of the atmosphere directly facing the Sun is about 1,360 watts per square meter. Because of their light color, snow and ice also reflect more sunlight than open water or bare ground, so a reduction in snow cover and ice causes the Earth's surface to absorb more energy from the sun and become warmer. Of the total amount of energy available at the top of the atmosphere, about 26% is reflected back out to space by the atmosphere and clouds via evapotranspiration which ultimately radiates the energy in the form of long wave radiations. Larger aerosol particles in the atmosphere interact with and absorb some of the radiation, causing the atmosphere to warm. The heat generated by this absorption is emitted as long wave infrared radiation, some of which radiates out into space. Of all of the solar radiation reaching Earth, 30% is reflected back to space and 70% is absorbed by the Earth (47%) and atmosphere (23%). Of the 100 units of incoming solar radiation, 30 are scattered or reflected back to space by the atmosphere and Earth's surface. Of these 30 units, 6 units are scattered by the air, water vapor, and aerosols in the atmosphere; 20 units are reflected by clouds; and 4 units are reflected by Earth's surface. About 29 percent of the solar energy that arrives at the top of the atmosphere is reflected back to space by clouds, atmospheric particles, or bright ground surfaces like sea ice and snow. This energy plays no role in Earth's climate system.
Snow and ice reflect approximately 80-90% of incoming solar radiation, contributing to a cooling effect on the Earth's climate. This high albedo is crucial for maintaining the planet's energy balance. As these surfaces melt due to climate change, the reduced albedo leads to increased absorption of solar radiation, amplifying global warming through the ice-albedo feedback loop.@Rk Naresh
Sunlight, shortwave radiation, passes through the atmosphere. Most of Earth's energy comes from the Sun. Snow and ice can reflect 50- 90% of incoming sunlight. As the Earth's average temperature rises, snow and ice cover decreases, increasing the amount sunlight being absorbed, and further contributing to global warming. More than 80 to 90 percent of the sunlight falling on fresh snow is reflected back into space, compared to 15 to 35 percent of the sunlight reflected by most ice. An albedo of 0.4 means that 40% of the incident solar radiation is reflected. The remaining 60% is absorbed by the surface. Snow and ice surfaces generally have a high albedo, ranging from 0.4 for ice to 0.9 for clean and fresh dry snow. The darker ocean reflects only 6 percent of the sun's energy and absorbs the rest, while sea ice reflects 50 to 70 percent of the incoming energy. Snow has an even higher ability to reflect solar energy than sea ice. Snow-covered sea ice reflects as much as 90 percent of the incoming solar radiation. Snow and ice have the highest albedos of any parts of Earth's surface: Some parts of Antarctica reflect up to 90% of incoming solar radiation. About 29 percent of the solar energy that arrives at the top of the atmosphere is reflected back to space by clouds, atmospheric particles, or bright ground surfaces like sea ice and snow. This energy plays no role in Earth's climate system. Snow, ice, and clouds have high albedos and reflect more energy than they absorb. Earth's average albedo is about 0.3. In other words, about 30 percent of incoming solar radiation is reflected back into space and 70 percent is absorbed. At Earth's average distance from the Sun (about 150 million kilometers), the average intensity of solar energy reaching the top of the atmosphere directly facing the Sun is about 1,360 watts per square meter. Roughly 35 units are reflected back to space even before reaching the Earth's surface. Of these 27 units are reflected back from the top of the clouds and 2 units from the snow and ice-covered areas of the Earth. The reflected amount of radiation is called the albedo of the earth. Snow's high reflectivity helps Earth's energy balance because it reflects solar energy back into space, which helps cool the planet. Snow's albedo, or how much sunlight it reflects back into the atmosphere, is very high, reflecting 80 to 90 percent of the incoming sunlight.
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