Do oceans have high or low albedo?

Do oceans have high or low albedo?

• A. High
• B. Moderate
• C. Variable with temperature
• D. Low

Answer: (D)

Albedo is how much sunlight a surface reflects. Ocean water shows low reflectivity because it absorbs most of the visible light that hits it, especially as light travels into the water, so only a small fraction is reflected back. The occasional bright glare you see comes from specific viewing angles and surface roughness, not from the whole ocean, which keeps the average albedo low—typically just a few percent. Temperature isn’t the main factor; surface state and sun angle matter more. So oceans have low albedo.

Albedo is how much sunlight a surface reflects. Ocean water shows low reflectivity because it absorbs most of the visible light that hits it, especially as light travels into the water, so only a small fraction is reflected back. The occasional bright glare you see comes from specific viewing angles and surface roughness, not from the whole ocean, which keeps the average albedo low—typically just a few percent. Temperature isn’t the main factor; surface state and sun angle matter more. So oceans have low albedo.