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Delayed Antarctic melt season reduces albedo feedback
Lei Liang1,2, Huadong Guo1,2, Shuang Liang1,2
1Key Laboratory of Digital Earth Science, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100094, China.
National Science Review
|August 11, 2023
Summary
Antarctica's snow melt season is delaying due to ocean heat flux and sea-ice variability. This delay impacts the continent's radiation balance more than sea-ice cover changes.
Area of Science:
- Climate Science
- Glaciology
- Remote Sensing
Background:
- Antarctica's response to climate change is spatially and temporally variable.
- Surface melting affects mass balance and lowers surface albedo.
- Understanding melt season dynamics is crucial for climate change impact assessments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze trends in Antarctic snow melt seasons using a long-term satellite record.
- To identify the drivers of changes in melt season onset and end dates.
- To assess the impact of delayed snowmelt on Antarctica's radiation balance.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a 43-year (1978-2020) record of Antarctic snow melt seasons from space-borne microwave radiometers.
- Applied a machine-learning algorithm to determine melt season onset and end dates.
- Employed Granger-causality analysis to identify causal relationships between melt timing and climate variables.
Main Results:
- Both the onset and end of the Antarctic snow melt season are significantly delayed.
- Melt season end is primarily delayed by increased ocean-to-atmosphere heat flux at minimum sea-ice extent.
- Melt season onset is driven by turbulent heat flux from the ocean, influenced by sea-ice variability.
Conclusions:
- Delayed snowmelt seasons alter Antarctica's radiation balance due to increased albedo after peak solar radiation.
- Ocean warming and sea-ice variability are key drivers of changing melt patterns.
- These changes have significant implications for Antarctica's climate feedback mechanisms.
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