In geophysics, shortwave flux is a result of specular and diffuse reflection of incident shortwave radiation by the underlying surface. This shortwave radiation, as solar radiation, can have a profound impact on certain biophysical processes of vegetation, such as canopy photosynthesis and land surface energy budgets, by being absorbed into the soil and canopies. As it is the main energy source of most weather phenomena, the solar shortwave radiation is used extensively in numerical weather prediction.