Most natural surfaces have shortwave albedos that are directly dependent on solar zenith angle. Strong dependences are well known for liquid water and have recently been reiterated for snow surfaces <Carroll and Fitch, 1981>. Many surfaces (e.g., water and dry snow) develop systematic macroscale ripple structures due to wind action (i.e., wave and sastrugi). This paper reports calculations on the effects of such structures on the solar radiation absorbed as a function of latitude, season, ripple amplitude, and ripple orientation. The ripples are represented as having triangular cross sections with the two upper faces tilted at angle B from the horizontal. The absorption of diffuse radiation is equal on all surfaces and computed by using the minimum surface albedo. Direct radiation absorbed is calculated by using the appropriate albedo for the solar zenith angle measured from each surface normal. Shadowing and interfacial reflections are included. The net solar radiation is normalized to a unit horizontal area (QNR) and compared to that calculated for a flat horizontal surface (QNH). Generally the ratio R≡QNH/QNR is slightly greater than one at high sun elevations and decreases with increasing tilt angle and increasing latitude. Minimum values of R (<0.5) are found for water at higher latitudes in winter. Model calculations indicate that surfaces with no albedo dependence on solar elevation also exhibit sensitivity to the presence of ripple structures.