what is albedo?
Albedo is a non-dimensional, unitless quantity that indicates how well a surface reflects solar energy. Albedo (Ã®Â±) varies between 0 and 1. Albedo commonly refers to the whiteness of a surface, with 0 meaning black and 1 meaning white. A value of 0 means the surface is a perfect absorber that absorbs all incoming energy. Absorbed solar energy can be used to heat the surface or, when sea ice is present, melt the surface.