Land surface albedo represents the fraction of solar radiation scattered backward by land surfaces.
In the presence of vegetation, surface albedo results from complex nonlinear radiation transfer processes
determining the amount of radiation that is scattered by the vegetation and its background, transmitted
through the vegetation layer, or absorbed by the vegetation layer and its background. Anomalies in mid- and high
latitude regions of the Northern Hemisphere result
mainly from interannual variations in snow cover
extent and duration in winter and spring. The large
negative anomalies over the United States reflect the
lack of snowfall and snowpack over the Rockies, the
Midwest, and much of the eastern half of the country.JRC.H.7-Climate Risk Managemen
