GOES Shortwave IR Albedo

The GOES shortwave albedo product is generated by subtracting the equivalent thermal radiance in the shortwave IR channel (3.9 µm) using the longwave IR (10.7 µm) temperature. This is done using the same formula day or night, whether or not there is reflected solar radiation. Since the surface albedo and emissivity are inversely related, areas that reflect solar radiation during the day are actually areas with lower emissivity or a radiance deficit, compared to the longwave IR channel, at night. The solar zenith angle at every image pixel is used to generate an isotropic albedo, independent of sun angle. This new product, which emphasizes low-level water cloud features, may replace the combined nighttime fog / daytime reflectivity product which is generated differently night and day.