Albedo

Abstract

The physical principles involved in the determination of the albedo of snow and ice covered surfaces as well as the uncertainties in the observational techniques are well understood. Modern instrumentation has significantly improved the accuracy and ease of obtaining surface-based observations, and a wide range of satellite borne sensors now provide the potential to extend monitoring over the full extent of both polar regions. Table 1 presents representative values and uncertainty for the albedos of selected surface types.