authority: gcos
slug: albedo
name: Albedo
domain: land
subdomain: biosphere
authority_id: gcos:albedo
external_ids:
  nvs_uri: null
  cf_standard_name: surface_albedo
  iadopt_concepts:
    property: reflectance
    entity: land-surface
canonical_units: "1"
gcos_requirement_tier:
  threshold: null
  breakthrough: null
  goal: null
description: |
  Fraction of incident shortwave radiation reflected by the land surface,
  retrieved from MODIS, VIIRS, Sentinel-3 and PROBA-V BRDF inversions.
  Controls the surface shortwave radiation budget and snow-albedo feedback.
theme: vegetation
demos: []
status: documented
sources:
  - https://gcos.wmo.int/site/global-climate-observing-system-gcos/essential-climate-variables/albedo