#ARCTIC. #SIBERIA. THIS IS TAIMYR. The Arctic is warming four times faster than the rest of the Earth. The Sandia researchers believe that these processes are enhanced by a decrease in sunlight reflectivity, or albedo. Scientists conducted a study using GPS – they recorded sunlight reflected from the Arctic. This was reported by Arguments and Facts with reference to phys.org.
Observations have shown that shrinking sea ice results in greater exposure to dark oceans, which absorb more sunlight than ice, raising temperatures.
The second factor is the reflectivity of the remaining sea ice – local albedo – which includes the appearance of water on the ice due to melting.
The analysis showed a decrease in overall reflectivity of 20 to 35 percent during the Arctic summer. One third of the reflectivity loss is due to completely melted ice. The remaining two-thirds are likely caused by weathering of remaining sea ice.
Previously, scientists have noticed that the ice in the Arctic becomes thinner and its life is shorter. Researchers have found errors in climate models and cannot say how quickly the Arctic is melting.
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Text: Angelika Stepanova, Photo: Severny Gorod MC’s archive
