Figure 2.30
SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY: How is Earth’s reflectivity measured? Monitoring Earth’s albedo is essential to climate studies. For example, decreasing snow cover due to global warming is decreasing Earth’s albedo, allowing the surface to absorb and be warmed by sunlight rather than reflecting it and remaining cool. Scientists monitor planetary albedo from the ground and from orbiting satellites.(A. © Martin Shields/Photo Researchers/Getty Images; B. NASA)