noun · academic
albedo
UK/ælˈbiːdəʊ/US/ælˈbiːdoʊ/al·BE·do
The proportion of incoming sunlight reflected from a surface; surfaces with high albedo reflect more solar radiation.
Examples
“Snow has a high albedo, which helps keep polar regions cooler.”
“Urbanisation lowers surface albedo because dark roofs and roads absorb more heat.”
“Reducing soot deposition on ice could raise the albedo and slow melting.”
Band 8 sentence
“As Arctic ice melts and albedo drops, more solar energy is absorbed, accelerating warming.”
Collocations
- surface albedo
- high/low albedo
Word family
Common mistakes
translate 'albedo' as 'albed' or 'albedic' incorrectly→albedo
use 'reflectivity' and 'albedo' as exact synonyms in all contexts→albedo
Say it for a higher band
5reflectivity→6reflective surface→7+albedo
Synonyms
reflectivity
Easily confused
reflectivity
“The glacier's albedo fell after it was darkened by soot, increasing melt rates.”
Related words
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In Environment & Climate
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