What effect does Earths surface have on Earths energy balance?
Land surface processes are important components of the terrestrial climate system. These processes include the a two-way exchange of radiation (in the form of sunlight and heat) and matter (particularly gases such as water vapor and carbon dioxide) between the surface and atmosphere. Scientists measure these exchanges in terms of flux, which is the rate of flow of radiation or matter across a unit surface area. Different surface types (rocky surfaces, bare soils, vegetative canopies, etc.), defined by their physical, chemical, and structural properties, will have a direct but varying influence on these fluxes. What will MISR measure about Earth’s land surface? Mathematical descriptions of the flux of energy and material between Earth’s surface and atmosphere, form the basis of physical models that are used to study Earth’s energy cycle. Such models require quantitative information that can be provided by instruments such as MISR. A key land surface climatological parameter, based on ra
