Albedo Measurements of an Arctic Ice Cover From High Towers

Radiometers, suspended at a height of 15 m between two towers anchored to the bottom of the ice cover, have been used to measure the average or integrated albedo of the surface. The work was carried out in May 1967 at Tanquary Fiord, Ellesmere Island (lat. 81° 25′ N., long. 76° 50′ W.) during the pe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Glaciology
Main Author: Langleben, M. P.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1968
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000031051
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000031051
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Summary:Radiometers, suspended at a height of 15 m between two towers anchored to the bottom of the ice cover, have been used to measure the average or integrated albedo of the surface. The work was carried out in May 1967 at Tanquary Fiord, Ellesmere Island (lat. 81° 25′ N., long. 76° 50′ W.) during the period when the surface of the ice cover was undergoing rapid change. The albedo was observed to have a value of almost 1·0, for a fresh snow cover, and about 0·8 for a weathered snow cover. It decreased to 0·6 as the wind partially cleared the surface of snow and gradually to 0·5 with further deterioration of the snow. The onset of melting, produced when the daily mean temperature exceeded 0°C, rapidly lowered the albedo to a value of about 0·3.