Physics – Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics
Scientific paper
2011-09-14
Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 38, L20504 (2011)
Physics
Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics
4 pages, 4 figures
Scientific paper
10.1029/2011GL049109
A controlling factor in the seasonal and climatological evolution of the sea ice cover is its albedo $\alpha$. Here we analyze Arctic data from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) Polar Pathfinder and assess the seasonality and variability of broadband albedo from a 23 year daily record. We produce a histogram of daily albedo over ice covered regions in which the principal albedo transitions are seen; high albedo in late winter and spring, the onset of snow melt and melt pond formation in the summer, and fall freeze up. The bimodal late summer distribution demonstrates the combination of the poleward progression of the onset of melt with the coexistence of perennial bare ice with melt ponds and open water, which then merge to a broad peak at $\alpha \gtrsim $ 0.5. We find the interannual variability to be dominated by the low end of the $\alpha$ distribution, highlighting the controlling influence of the ice thickness distribution and large-scale ice edge dynamics. The statistics obtained provide a simple framework for model studies of albedo parameterizations and sensitivities.
Agarwal Shankar
Moon Wooil
Wettlaufer John Scott
No associations
LandOfFree
Decadal to seasonal variability of Arctic sea ice albedo does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with Decadal to seasonal variability of Arctic sea ice albedo, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Decadal to seasonal variability of Arctic sea ice albedo will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-569545