The albedo of water as a function of latitude.

Abstract

The latitude dependance of water albedo is usually taken from one of a number of tables available in the literature, but these tables all derive from a single series of calculations, made in 1952, for clear skies at noon in the middle of each month. This article contains new tables, in which the albedos are averaged over all radiation received at all elevation angles of the sun (also tabulated). The tables are by month and year, for latitudes 0o (10o) 90o and latitude belts 0-10o (10o) 80-90o, 0-30o (30o) 60-90o and 30-90o. One set is based on the Fresnel equation, another on the data of Grishchenko. In the latter set, albedos are 2-4 precentage points higher at low latitude, and up to 20 points lower near the pole, than those now in use. - Author