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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.
Solar radiation is made up of electromagnetic energy of various wavelengths. As it passes through the earth's atmosphere, half is reflected back into space while the other half makes its way to the surface of the earth. The air molecules react with this incoming radiation, scattering the light and absorbing most of the harmful rays.