Climatology – Planetary Reflectance What is the standard term for the combined effect of all shortwave (solar) radiation losses by reflection and scattering from Earth back to space, expressed as a fraction or percentage?

Introduction / Context:
Earth’s energy balance depends on the interplay between incoming shortwave solar radiation and outgoing reflected shortwave plus emitted longwave. A key parameter that summarizes how much sunlight is reflected by clouds, ice, land, and oceans is the planetary albedo.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Focus on shortwave losses (reflected/scattered sunlight), not longwave emission.
• Need a single term that aggregates these reflection processes at the planetary scale.
• Standard climatology terminology is expected.

Concept / Approach:
Earth albedo (planetary albedo) is the fraction of incoming solar radiation reflected back to space by the atmosphere, clouds, and surface. “Earth radiation” usually refers to terrestrial longwave emission; “scattering” is one mechanism, not the holistic metric. Therefore, the correct umbrella term is albedo.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Energy-balance diagrams depict ~30% average planetary albedo, confirming usage of this term for combined shortwave reflection.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Earth scattering: A process, not an aggregate metric.
• Earth radiation: Typically longwave emission, not reflected sunlight.
• None of the above: Incorrect because albedo is precisely the requested concept.

Common Pitfalls:
Conflating albedo (shortwave reflection) with emissivity or outgoing longwave radiation.

Final Answer:
earth albedo