Reflecting Change: Challenges and Opportunities in Measuring and Modeling Arctic Surface Albedo

The role of the Arctic within the global economic and geopolitical landscape is evolving. The rapid pace at which the Arctic is approaching a summer sea ice-free condition is enabling economic activities within the Arctic that were unthinkable a few decades ago. Thus, the value of polar weather and climate predictions to inform operational and strategic decisions is rising. However, our knowledge of and ability to model Arctic surface albedo limits polar predictive capabilities. Arctic surface albedo varies from ~0.06 for an ice-free ocean region to ~0.90 for a fresh snow-covered surface. This spatial and temporal variation in Arctic surface albedo gives rise to surface albedo feedbacks. Spatially, horizontal differences in surface albedo give rise to gradients in absorbed solar radiation and temperature that can influence atmospheric circulation patterns and vegetation. Temporally, snow and sea ice melt darken the surface albedo increasing absorbed solar radiation and promote additional melt; this feedback operates at daily to centennial timescales and is the largest contributor to the inter-model spread in climate projections of Arctic warming. This presentation discusses the current state of Arctic surface albedo evolution within NASA CERES surface radiation budget data products and weather and climate models. New results from the NASA ARCSIX field campaign and on the influence of surface albedo feedback on sea ice survivability are presented. Lastly, the presentation provides perspectives and new data sets needed to address uncertainties related to the simulation and treatment of surface albedo in models.