COSEE Ocean Systems: News
Snowblind? Fresh snow cover's bright "albedo"
Description: Chances are you fumbled for the Ray Bans because of a fresh snow cover and an increasingly intense February sun. It's seriously bright out there these days. So what makes that layer of fresh Arctic fluff so eye-searing? Say hello to our old friend "albedo." Albedo is a measure of the amount of light reflected by various surfaces. A fresh snow cover reflects 85 to 90 percent of the sun's rays back at your eyes. Compare that with about 30 percent on your lawn in summer and about 10 percent on blacktop. [Source: MPN (Minnesota Public Radio)]
URL: https://blogs.mprnews.org/updraft/2018/02/snowblind-fresh-snow-covers-bright-albedo/
Availability: Full Text
Source: MPN (Minnesota Public Radio)
Publish Date: 2/7/2018
Reading Level: Basic
Page Length:  

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