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"Albedo evolution of seasonal Arctic sea ice," by Donald K. Perovich & Christopher Polashenski, Geophysical Research Letters, 39 (2012) L08501; doi:10.1029/2012GL051432
Donald K. Perovich (CRREL, ERDC,and the Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, U.S.A.) and Christopher Polashenski (CRREL, ERDC, Hanover, NH, U.S.A.)
Abstract
There is an ongoing shift in the Arctic sea ice cover from multiyear ice to seasonal ice. Here we examine the impact of this shift on sea ice albedo. Our analysis of observations from four years of field experiments indicates that seasonal ice undergoes an albedo evolution with seven phases; cold snow, melting snow, pond formation, pond drainage, pond evolution, open water, and freezeup. Once surface ice melt begins, seasonal ice albedos are consistently less than albedos for multiyear ice resulting in more solar heat absorbed in the ice and transmitted to the ocean. The shift from a multiyear to seasonal ice cover has significant implications for the heat and mass budget of the ice and for primary productivity in the upper ocean. There will be enhanced melting of the ice cover and an increase in the amount of sunlight available in the upper ocean.
Received 19 February 2012; revised 17 March 2012; accepted 23 March 2012; published 20 April 2012.
I don't have access to this. If anybody does, I'd appreciate a copy of the text, hey?
EDIT -- This is the meat of it:
"For both seasonal and multiyear ice, approximately two-thirds of the total solar heat input to the ice occurred in June and July. From 1 March to 1 October, the total solar heat input to the multiyear ice was 893 MJ m−2 compared to 1235 MJ m−2 to the seasonal ice. Keeping the incident solar and the onset dates of melt and freezeup the same; the shift from multiyear to seasonal ice increased the solar heat input by 342 MJ m−2, a 38% increase and enough heat to potentially thin the ice by 1.02 m"
I keep thinking -- a 38% increase in solar heat input. Christ.
Donald K. Perovich (CRREL, ERDC,and the Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, U.S.A.) and Christopher Polashenski (CRREL, ERDC, Hanover, NH, U.S.A.)
Abstract
There is an ongoing shift in the Arctic sea ice cover from multiyear ice to seasonal ice. Here we examine the impact of this shift on sea ice albedo. Our analysis of observations from four years of field experiments indicates that seasonal ice undergoes an albedo evolution with seven phases; cold snow, melting snow, pond formation, pond drainage, pond evolution, open water, and freezeup. Once surface ice melt begins, seasonal ice albedos are consistently less than albedos for multiyear ice resulting in more solar heat absorbed in the ice and transmitted to the ocean. The shift from a multiyear to seasonal ice cover has significant implications for the heat and mass budget of the ice and for primary productivity in the upper ocean. There will be enhanced melting of the ice cover and an increase in the amount of sunlight available in the upper ocean.
Received 19 February 2012; revised 17 March 2012; accepted 23 March 2012; published 20 April 2012.
EDIT -- This is the meat of it:
"For both seasonal and multiyear ice, approximately two-thirds of the total solar heat input to the ice occurred in June and July. From 1 March to 1 October, the total solar heat input to the multiyear ice was 893 MJ m−2 compared to 1235 MJ m−2 to the seasonal ice. Keeping the incident solar and the onset dates of melt and freezeup the same; the shift from multiyear to seasonal ice increased the solar heat input by 342 MJ m−2, a 38% increase and enough heat to potentially thin the ice by 1.02 m"
I keep thinking -- a 38% increase in solar heat input. Christ.