Sandia National Laboratories has revealed that its researchers are currently studying the acceleration of Arctic warming, a phenomenon driven by the reduction in sunlight reflectivity, also known as albedo. The research team has leveraged data from GPS satellite radiometers to capture sunlight reflections off the Arctic, providing new insights into this alarming trend.
In collaboration with the U.S. Space Force, Sandia's team was able to access unpublished data from GPS satellite radiometers. Given the availability of ongoing satellite data until 2040, they urge fellow researchers to incorporate their recent findings—published in Nature Scientific Reports—into Arctic amplification models. According to a press release by Sandia National Laboratories, the institution plans to delve deeper into GPS data and looks forward to collaborations with climate researchers for more thorough analysis.
"The uneven warming in the Arctic is both a scientific curiosity and a pressing concern, leading us to question why this landscape has been changing so dramatically," said Erika Roesler, an atmospheric and climate scientist at Sandia.
Amy Kaczmarowski, an engineer who analyzed data spanning from 2014 to 2019 at Sandia National Laboratories said: "There have been numerous local measurements and theoretical discussions regarding the effects of water puddling on ice albedo. This study represents one of the first comprehensive examinations of year-to-year effects in the Arctic region." She added that Sandia's data analysis revealed a 20% to 35% decrease in total reflectivity over the Arctic summer. According to microwave sea-ice extent measurements collected during the same period, one-third of this loss of reflectivity is attributed to fully melted ice.
Sandia National Laboratories specializes in national security issues and applies scientific expertise towards detecting, repelling, defeating or mitigating threats. Operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia LLC., a subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., it serves as a contractor for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). It supports various government agencies and organizations, as stated on the about webpage provided by Sandia National Laboratories.
