Articles | Volume 18, issue 7
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-3297-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-3297-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
23 Jul 2024
Research article |
| 23 Jul 2024
| 23 Jul 2024
The radiative and geometric properties of melting first-year landfast sea ice in the Arctic
Nathan J. M. Laxague
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, NY, USA
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
Center for Ocean Engineering, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
Christopher J. Zappa
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, NY, USA
Andrew R. Mahoney
Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA
John Goodwin
Native Village of Kotzebue, Kotzebue, AK, USA
Cyrus Harris
Native Village of Kotzebue, Kotzebue, AK, USA
Robert E. Schaeffer
Native Village of Kotzebue, Kotzebue, AK, USA
Roswell Schaeffer Sr.
Native Village of Kotzebue, Kotzebue, AK, USA
Sarah Betcher
Farthest North Films, San Francisco, CA, USA
Donna D. W. Hauser
International Arctic Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA
Carson R. Witte
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, NY, USA
Jessica M. Lindsay
School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
Ajit Subramaniam
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, NY, USA
Kate E. Turner
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Te Whanganui ā Tara / Wellington, Aotearoa / New Zealand
Alex Whiting
Native Village of Kotzebue, Kotzebue, AK, USA
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Short summary
The state of sea ice strongly affects its absorption of solar energy. In May 2019, we flew uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with sensors designed to quantify the sunlight that is reflected by sea ice at each wavelength over the sea ice of Kotzebue Sound, Alaska. We found that snow patches get darker (up to ~ 20 %) as they get smaller, while bare patches get darker (up to ~ 20 %) as they get larger. We believe that this difference is due to melting around the edges of small features.
The state of sea ice strongly affects its absorption of solar energy. In May 2019, we flew...
