Parameterization of land surface albedo

Remote measurements of Earth’s surface from ground, airborne, and spaceborne instruments show that its albedo is highly variable and is sensitive to solar zenith angle(SZA) and atmospheric opacity. Using a validated radiative transfer calculating toolbox, DISORT and a bidirectional reflectance distribution function library, AMBRALS, a land surface albedo(LSA) lookup table(LUT) is produced with respect to SZA and aerosol optical depth. With the LUT, spectral and broadband LSA can be obtained at any given illumination geometries and atmospheric conditions. It provides a fast and accurate way to simulate surface reflectance over large temporal and spatial scales for climate study.