โ™ป๏ธap environmental science review

Albedo

Written by the Fiveable Content Team โ€ข Last updated August 2025
Verified for the 2027 exam
Verified for the 2027 examโ€ขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โ€ข Last updated August 2025

Definition

The reflectivity of a surface, expressed as the fraction of solar radiation reflected back to space; ice has high albedo while water has low albedo.

AP course connection

Topic 9.5: 9.5 Global Climate Change

Unit 9