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This is called the "albedo." It is the ratio of reflected light compared to incident light, and depends on the surface material and its condition (e.g. snow, grassland).

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What percentage of the solar energy the reaches the outer atmosphere is absorbed at the earth's surface?

Roughly 70% of the solar energy that reaches the outer atmosphere is absorbed by the Earth's surface. The remaining percentage is reflected back into space by clouds, aerosols, and the Earth's surface.


Do clouds reflect sun's radiation?

Yes, clouds can reflect incoming solar radiation due to their high albedo, which is the measure of how much sunlight is reflected off a surface. This reflection can have a cooling effect on the Earth's surface by reducing the amount of solar radiation that reaches it.


The atmosphere is heated chiefly by radiation emitted by Earth?

The atmosphere is heated chiefly by radiation from Earth's surface rather than by direct solar radiation because about 50 percent of the solar energy is absorbed at Earth's surface. 30 percent is reflected back to space. 20 percent is absorbed by clouds and the atmosphere's gases.


What percentage of solar radiation does the earth atmosphere absorb?

The Earth's atmosphere absorbs about 23% of incoming solar radiation. This absorption occurs mainly due to gases like water vapor, carbon dioxide, and ozone, as well as clouds and aerosols. The remaining solar radiation reaches the Earth's surface, where it can be utilized for various processes, including photosynthesis and solar energy generation.


Which type and color of land surface would reflect the most solar radiation?

The Solar System object with the highest albedo is Europa with a reflectivity of 0.64. Earth by comparison is 0.367. Europe is smooth and covered in fresh (clean) ice. So smooth and white would reflect the most.

Related Questions

About 6 percent of solar radiation is what by the Earth's surface?

About 6 percent of solar radiation is absorbed by the Earth's surface, with the remaining percentage being reflected back into space or absorbed by the atmosphere.


How much solar energy is reflected by the atmosphere and earth's surface?

About 6% of incoming solar radiation is reflected back into space from the atmosphere and 4% by the surface of the earth.Incoming solar radiation: 100%Reflected by the atmosphere: 6% : Absorbed by the atmosphere: 16%Continuing incoming solar radiation: 78%Reflected by clouds: 20% : Absorbed by clouds: 3%Continuing incoming solar radiation: 55%Reflected by the earth's surface: 4% : Absorbed by the earth's surface (lands and oceans): 51%


What percentage of solar radiation reaches the earth and drives the hydro logic cycle?

About 50% of the incoming solar radiation reaches the surface of the planet. The rest is reflected or absorbed by the atmosphere & clouds, and a small portion is reflected by the oceans and land.


Solar radiation that is not reflected is absorbed by what?

Solar radiation that is not reflected is absorbed by clouds, the atmosphere and the surface of the earth.Incoming solar radiation: 100%Reflected by the atmosphere: 6% : Absorbed by the atmosphere: 16%Continuing incoming solar radiation: 78%Reflected by clouds: 20% : Absorbed by clouds: 3%Continuing incoming solar radiation: 55%Reflected by the earth's surface: 4% : Absorbed by the earth's surface (lands and oceans): 51%Source: (NASA)


How is 34 percent of the energy from the sun reflected off the troposphere?

About 26% of incoming solar radiation is reflected back into space from the clouds and atmosphere. Another 16% is absorbed by the atmosphere.Incoming solar radiation: 100%Reflected by the atmosphere: 6% : Absorbed by the atmosphere: 16%Continuing incoming solar radiation: 78%Reflected by clouds: 20% : Absorbed by clouds: 3%Continuing incoming solar radiation: 55%Reflected by the earth's surface: 4% : Absorbed by the earth's surface (lands and oceans): 51%


How much solar energy is reflected by clouds and other particles?

About 19% of incoming solar radiation is absorbed by clouds and the atmosphere.Incoming solar radiation: 100%Reflected by the atmosphere: 6% : Absorbed by the atmosphere: 16%Continuing incoming solar radiation: 78%Reflected by clouds: 20% : Absorbed by clouds: 3%Continuing incoming solar radiation: 55%Reflected by the earth's surface: 4% : Absorbed by the earth's surface (lands and oceans): 51%Source: (NASA)


What happens as solar radiation travels towards earth?

Some is absorbed by molecules in the atmosphere (such as ultraviolet absorption by ozone), some is absorbed on the surface, and some is reflected by clouds or the surface back into space. The surface will re-radiate much of the absorbed solar radiation as infrared (thermal) radiation, and some of this is then absorbed by atmospheric gases such as carbon dioxide and methane.


What term is used to describe incoming solar radiation?

25% is absorbed by clouds.25% is reflected by clouds.45% is absorbed by the earth's surface.5% is reflected by the earth's surface.So 50% reaches the surface of the earth (But 5% of that is reflected).


How much solar energy is reflected back into space?

About 30% of incoming solar radiation is reflected back into space.Incoming solar radiation: 100%Reflected by the atmosphere: 6% : Absorbed by the atmosphere: 16%Continuing incoming solar radiation: 78%Reflected by clouds: 20% : Absorbed by clouds: 3%Continuing incoming solar radiation: 55%Reflected by the earth's surface: 4% : Absorbed by the earth's surface (lands and oceans): 51%(Source: NASA. see link below)A:Scientists use the term albedo to describe the percentage of solar radiation reflected back into space by an object or surface. A perfectly black surface has an albedo of 0 (all radiation is absorbed).A perfectly mirror-finished surface has an albedo of 1.0 (all radiation is reflected).Earth's average albedo is about 0.3. In other words, about 30 percent of incoming solar radiation is reflected back into space (from land, sea, clouds, ice and atmosphere) and 70 percent is absorbed.From point to point on the Earth's surface, the albedo varies; high for clouds or snow, low for cities and paved areas, intermediate for vegetation. Overall, averaging the bright areas with the cities, the Earth's albedo is about 0.3 or perhaps just a little higher; 0.34 or so.Well, all of it is not. Some of it is absorbed by the oceans, some by dry land, and some by the ice caps.


What percent of the Sun's energy intercepted by the Earth is absorbed by the atmosphere and clouds?

This Answer is as Variable, considering all of the varying Parameters, as it is Crucial to Our Tenuous Situation. This percentage, as Critical as it is, in not predictable as the Output of Solar radiation is as unknowable as the powerful Incidence of detrimental Cosmic Rays.


What percent of incoming radiation from the Sun is absorbed by Earth's surface?

Approximately 51% of incoming solar radiation is absorbed by Earth's surface. The rest is reflected back into space or absorbed by the atmosphere.


What is reflectivity of a surface called?

One term often used in Astronomy is the albedo. It refers to the percentage or fraction of incoming light that is reflected.