What is albedo? It's another word for reflectivity, i.e., the degree to which incoming sunlight and heat is reflected back into space. The higher it is, the more is reflected (keeping the Earth cooler), the lower it is, the more is absorbed (making the Earth hotter). Clouds and snow increase albedo (reflectivity), dark surfaces reduce it. Aerosols, mostly from sulphur dioxide, high in the atmosphere, reflect income infra-red solar radiation, increasing albedo, and one explanation for the recent decline in albedo is, ironically, recent changes in regulations requiring ships to use low-sulphur diesel.
From Prof Eliot Jacobson
As of the latest June data from CERES, the 12-month running average for Earth's albedo is continuing its run towards a new record low. Data source: ceres-tool.larc.nasa.gov/ord-tool/jsp...
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