Planetary Energy Balance

Once the electromagnetic radiation reaches the earth’s surface, it is absorbed or reflected, depending on the nature of the material.	Ever walked barefoot on black pavement on a hot sunny day? The pavement gets really hot! That’s because dark colors absorb radiation.	When your feet get so hot you can’t stand it, you jump onto the concrete sidewalk, which feels much cooler. That’s because lighter colors reflect radiation.
Dark colored surfaces absorb more of the incoming visible radiation. Earth’s darkest materials include ocean water, and to a lesser extent plants and trees. These areas soak up the sun’s radiation and warm the earth.
Bright surfaces such as ice and snow, and to a lesser degree desert sand, reflect most incoming radiation. Reflected radiation passes back through the atmosphere and into space without warming the earth.