Radiation that is not absorbed or scattered in the
atmosphere can reach and interact with the
Earth's surface. There are three (3) forms of
interaction that can take place when energy
strikes, or is incident upon the surface. These
are: absorption; transmission; and reflection.
The total incident energy will interact with the
surface in one or more of these three ways. The
proportions of each will depend on the
wavelength of the energy and the material and
condition of the feature.