What's Earth's average albedo?

Earth's average albedo is about 0.30 (30%), meaning roughly 30% of incoming sunlight is reflected back to space by clouds, ice, oceans, and land surfaces combined.

Why does albedo matter for climate?

Higher albedo surfaces (like snow and ice) reflect more sunlight and stay cooler, while lower albedo surfaces (like open ocean or dark forest) absorb more energy — melting ice lowers albedo and can accelerate warming.

Albedo Calculator

Calculate albedo — the fraction of incoming light or radiation a surface reflects — from measurements of incoming and reflected energy. Albedo is central to climate science, planetary science, and remote sensing.

Inputs

Results

Albedo: 30%

Try an example

Formula

Albedo = (Reflected Radiation / Incoming Radiation) × 100

Learn How This Works

Astronomy Fundamentals: Parallax, Redshift, and Albedo

Stellar parallax distance, redshift, albedo, and centripetal acceleration — four calculations covering how astronomers measure distance, motion, and reflectivity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Calculators

Density Calculator

Calculate density from mass and volume.

Speed, Distance & Time Calculator

Calculate speed from distance and time traveled.

pH Calculator

Calculate pH from hydrogen ion concentration.

Half-Life Calculator

Calculate remaining quantity of a substance after radioactive or exponential decay.

Wavelength & Frequency Calculator

Calculate the frequency of a wave from its wavelength, or vice versa.

Specific Heat Calculator

Calculate the heat energy needed to change a substance's temperature.