Where does this come from, and can I check it?

Fresh snow reflects most sunlight while open ocean absorbs almost all of it. The figure is taken from IPCC, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

Is this really a science fact?

Yes. It sits on the Science shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

What else can I read about it?

The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

Mondo Knows Facts

Albedo measures how much sunlight bounces off

Fresh snow reflects most sunlight while open ocean absorbs almost all of it Albedo is the fraction of incoming solar radiation reflected by a surface, running from zero to one. Fresh snow can reach 0.8 or more, while the sea is closer to 0.06. Melting ice exposes darker water, which absorbs more heat and encourages further melting. It sits in Mondo's science collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.

Where this comes from

IPCC

Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.

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Tags: climate, ice, energy

Albedo measures how much sunlight bounces off: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: Fresh snow reflects most sunlight while open ocean absorbs almost all of it. The figure is taken from IPCC, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a science fact?: Yes. It sits on the Science shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.