On the importance to consider the cloud dependence in parameterizing the albedo of snow on sea ice


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wolfgang.dorn [ at ] awi.de

Abstract

The impact of a slightly modified broadband snow surface albedo parameterization, which explicitly considers the cloud dependence of the snow albedo, is evaluated in simulations of a coupled regional climate model of the Arctic. The cloud dependence of the snow albedo leads to a more realistic simulation of the variability of the surface albedo during the snowmelt period in late May and June. In particular, the reproduction of lower albedo values under cloud-free/broken-cloud conditions during the snowmelt period represents an improvement and results in an earlier disappearance of the snow cover and an earlier onset of sea-ice melt. In this way, the consideration of the cloud dependence of the snow albedo results in an amplification of the two-stage snow/ice albedo feedback in the model. This finds expression in considerably increased sea-ice melt during the summer months and ends up in a new quasi-stationary equilibrium in sea ice with statistically significant lower sea-ice volume and statistically significant lower summer sea-ice area.



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Published
Eprint ID
59218
DOI 10.5194/tc-18-4053-2024

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Foth, L. , Dorn, W. , Rinke, A. , Jäkel, E. and Niehaus, H. (2024): On the importance to consider the cloud dependence in parameterizing the albedo of snow on sea ice , The Cryosphere, 18 (9), pp. 4053-4064 . doi: 10.5194/tc-18-4053-2024


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