absorption

By admin_wla | Tue, 4 Feb 2014 - 12:13
The process in which radiant energy is retained by a substance. A further process always results from absorption, that is, the irreversible conversion of the absorbed radiation into some other form of energy within and according to the nature of the absorbing medium. The absorbing medium itself may emit radiation, but only after an energy conversion has occurred. Source: NASA (http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Glossary)