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• n  the ratio of reflected to incident light

• In his nerdy professor style and referring to "Milankovitch cycles" and the "albedo effect" as well as melting glaciers and rising seas, Chu methodically explained that the science .
• The albedo (brightness) of the earth depends on the amount of sunlight that it reflects, and this figure cannot be determined accurately by looking up from the surface.
• They are working splendidly, and their reports will give new information about the earth's albedo (reflectivity) and about the temperature and humidity of the upper layers of the .

• reflective power

News & Articles

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• NASA satellites see Arctic surface darkening faster
  The retreat of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is diminishing Earth's albedo, or reflectivity, by an amount considerably larger than previously estimated, according to a new study that uses data from instruments that fly aboard several NASA satellites.
  Feb. 20, 2014 - Science Daily
• Diminishing ice means a darker Arctic
  The retreat of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is diminishing Earth’s albedo, or reflectivity, by an amount considerably larger than previously estimated, according to researchers at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
  Feb. 20, 2014 - UC Newsroom
• Science Says: Arctic Is Getting Darker, Absorbing More Heat
  Climate scientists have hypothesized for decades that melting sea ice at the North Pole hastens global warming by decreasing the amount of heat from the sun that’s reflected back into space. According to a new study conducted at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego, between 1979 and 2011 the average levels of Arctic albedo—the technical term for the fraction of solar energy ...
  Feb. 19, 2014 - Takepart.com via Yahoo! News

Quotes

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• Chris Landry in Salt Lake Tribune
  We found a dramatic reduction in the albedo in areas where there was dust on or in the snow,Landry said.