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The balance between energy absorbed by the earth and energy reflected back into space is fundamental in determining how warm or cool the planet becomes. The proportion of radiation reflected away by a surface is called its albedo. Albedo can range between 0 (no reflectance) and 1 (complete reflectanceâlike a mirror). The earthâs average albedo is .31, which means that, overall, the planet reflects about 31% of incoming solar radiation back into space.
The first factor, energy received, depends on the planet's distance from the Sun and its albedo (A), the fraction of light reaching the planet that is reflected away and not absorbed. The albedo is 0.0 if all the light is absorbed and 1.0 for a if all the light is reflected.