Skip to main content
Welcome to GCOS
GCOS Slogan

Main navigation

  • Home
  • About
  • ECV
    • Essential Climate Variables
    • ECV Review
    • About Essential Climate Variables
  • Expert Panels
    • Atmospheric Observation Panel for Climate
    • Ocean Observations Physics and Climate Panel
    • Terrestrial Observation Panel for Climate
    • Joint Panels Meeting 2019
    • Joint Panels Meeting 2021
  • Cooperation
    • Cooperation Mechanism
    • Regional Workshops
    • National Cooperations
    • CBS Lead Centres for GCOS
  • Indicators
  • News
  • Networks
  • GCOS Goes Green
  • Publications
    • GCOS Implementation Plan 2022
    • GCOS Implementation Plan 2016
    • GCOS Status Report 2021
    • Publications and Outreach
  1. Home
  2. Essential Climate Variables
  3. Albedo

Download shortened print version of ECV factsheet (pdf) here.


Data Sources

ECV Products and Requirements


Albedo

The land surface albedo is the ratio of the radiant flux reflected from Earth’s surface to the incident flux. It is a key forcing parameter controlling the partitioning of radiative energy between the atmospheric and surface. In the case of vegetation, a reference surface is typically defined at or near the top of the canopy and must be specified explicitly. Surface albedo depends on natural variations, highly variable in space and time as a result of terrestrial properties changes, and with illumination conditions and human activities and is a sensitive indicator of environmental vulnerability.
  Domain: Terrestrial
  Subdomain: Biology
  Scientific Area: Energy
  ECV Steward: Nadine Gobron
  Products:  Maps of directional hemispherical reflectance (DHR) albedo for adaptation; Maps of bi-hemispherical reflectance (BHR) albedo for adaptation; Maps of DHR albedo for modelling; Maps of BHR albedo for modelling

 


Global Land Cover

Figure: Trend of Albedo in March from 2000 to 2018. Significant slopes in [% year -1] MCD43C3 (WSA-Shortwave).

EU Copernicus

 

Sponsors

Twitter icon



Copyright | Privacy | Contact