NASA satellite instruments have observed a marked increase in solar radiation absorbed in the Arctic since the year 2000 -- a trend that aligns¹ with the steady decrease in Arctic sea ice during the same period. While sea ice is mostly white and reflects the sun's rays, ocean water is dark and absorbs the sun's energy at a higher rate. A decline in the region's albedo -- its reflectivity, in effect -- has been a key concern among scientists since the summer Arctic sea ice cover began shrinking in recent decades. As more of the sun's energy is absorbed by the climate system, it enhances ongoing² warming in the region, which is more pronounced than anywhere else on the planet.

 

Since the year 2000, the rate of absorbed solar radiation in the Arctic in June, July and August has increased by five percent, said Norman Loeb, of NASA's Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia. The measurement is made by NASA's Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) instruments, which fly on multiple satellites.

 

While a five percent increase may not seem like much, consider that the rate globally has remained essentially³ flat during that same time. No other region on Earth shows a trend of potential long-term change.

 

When averaged over the entire Arctic Ocean, the increase in the rate of absorbed solar radiation is about 10 Watts⁴ per square meter. This is equivalent to an extra 10-watt light bulb shining continuously over every 10.76 square feet of Arctic Ocean for the entire summer.

 

Regionally, the increase is even greater, Loeb said. Areas such as the Beaufort Sea, which has experienced the some of the most pronounced decreases in sea-ice coverage⁵, show a 50 watts per square meter increase in the rate of absorbed solar radiation.

 

"Advances in our understanding of Arctic climate change and the underlying⁶ processes that influence it will depend critically upon high quality observations like these from CERES," Loeb said.

 

As a region, the Arctic is showing more dramatic signs of climate change than any other spot on the planet. These include a warming of air temperatures at a rate two to three times greater than the rest of the planet and the loss of September sea ice extent at a rate of 13 percent per decade.

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