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💡 Dark absorbs, light reflects
A black road bakes in the Sun while fresh snow stays icy cold. The difference is albedo — how much sunlight a surface bounces back.
What is albedo?
- Albedo is the fraction of solar radiation reflected by a surface (from the Latin for ‘whiteness’).
- High-albedo surfaces (snow, ice) reflect most light and stay cool, keeping polar regions cold.
- Low-albedo surfaces (black soil, ocean water) absorb more light and grow warmer.
NCERT Question 4 — Describe how albedo affects the
Describe how albedo affects the Earth’s surface temperature and its climate.
View Answer →
In this Activity, we will find out the albedo of common surfaces using information from authentic sources.
- Complete Table 13.1 using information from authentic sources like websites and books.
- Note that snow and ice have high albedo and reflect most sunlight.
- Note that black soil and ocean water have low albedo and absorb more sunlight.
- Relate high albedo to cold polar regions and low albedo to warmer surfaces.
What we observe
High-albedo surfaces stay cool (cold poles) while low-albedo surfaces absorb more radiation and stay
relatively warmer
.
📝 Note
Ensure that you do not share any personal information while using the internet.
| S. No. | Materials | Albedo |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Snow | 0.80 – 0.90 |
| 2. | Ice | 0.50 – 0.70 |
| 3. | Crushed rock | 0.25 – 0.30 |
| 4. | Light coloured soil | |
| 5. | Black soil | |
| 6. | Ocean water |
🧵 Threads of Curiosity
Urban Heat Island Effect: cities are warmer than surrounding rural areas, especially at night. Steel, concrete, brick and asphalt absorb solar radiation and re-radiate heat, warming cities and raising energy demand for air conditioning. Rural areas and forests stay cool through shade and plant transpiration, showing how human land use can alter the local climate (Fig. 13.6).
