Albedo is a measure of ‘whiteness’ or reflectivity which is also the rate at which a surface is able to reflect a percentage of solar radiation it receives. White surfaces have a higher albedo which is why Arctic and Antarctic regions with lots of ice sheets have a high albedo. They play a big role in regulating global temperatures. The larger the ice sheet cover in the antarctic and arctic regions, the more they reflect solar radiation back to space hence keeping the temperatures on earth from rising considerably.
