Cooling factors

Philippe Rekacewicz, UNEP/GRID-Arendal

This qualitative graphic illustrates the various factors that affect the amount of solar radiation hitting or being absorbed by Earth's surface such as aerosols, clouds, and albedo.

Click to View

Notes from our reviewers

The CLEAN collection is hand-picked and rigorously reviewed for scientific accuracy and classroom effectiveness. Read what our review team had to say about this resource below or learn more about how CLEAN reviews teaching materials.

Can be used to teach about albedo. Educator may need to look further into albedo - open water also reflects and ice also absorbs, but it's the relative effect; also explore with students how albedo works. Educator may need to alleviate confusion about how aerosols are both reflecting and absorbing energy.
Good visual of the radiative budget without any quantification of the effect of each of the factors. Because factors are not quantified, the graph stays current (publication date 2000). Comments from expert scientist: The paragraph provides a simple introduction to the direct cooling effects by aerosols and clouds. When considering direct radiative interactions of aerosols, in my view absorption of radiation by black carbon (and even brown carbon) and dust needs to be included too, so it will be a more complete picture if this slide also includes arrows for anthropogenic/natural aerosols that show solar absorption as well.