Albedo is the measure of the fraction of solar energy reflected by the Earth’s surface. Lighter color surfaces reflect light and have a high albedo, while darker surfaces absorb light and have a low albedo. Rapid urbanization has changed land use and surface properties, which has an effect on climate regionally and even globally. CSHub researchers are studying the impact of albedo on climate. 

Related Research Briefs

• Quantifying the impact of pavement reflectivity on radiative forcing and building energy demand in neighborhoods (March 2017)
• The Impact of Changes to Surface Albedo on Radiative Forcing (January 2016)
• Quantifying Climate Impacts of Surface Albedo (July 2015)
• A High-Level Analysis of Context-Dependent Albedo Effects (May 2015)

Peer Reviewed Publications

• Xu, X., Gregory J., Kirchain R., Climate Impacts of Surface Albedo: Review and Comparative Analysis. Transportation Research Board 95th Annual Meeting, No. 16-6158. 2016.