Ground-Based and Satellite-Derived Measurements of Surface Albedo on the North Slope of Alaska

Abstract

Abstract Spatial and temporal variations of surface albedo on the North Slope of Alaska were investigated using both ground-based tower measurements and satellite remote sensing data. Ground-based measurements of incident and reflected solar radiation at several stations along the Dalton Highway over the period 1985–98 are used to determine in situ surface albedo. Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR)-derived surface albedo were obtained from AVHRR Polar Pathfinder products, available from the National Snow and Ice Data Center, using a modified cloud mask. AVHRR-derived surface albedo agrees closely with in situ measurements. Results from this study indicate that surface albedo varies from greater than 0.9 for a snow-covered land surface under overcast conditions to less than 0.1 for a wet tundra land surface. Five distinct temporal periods are discerned, based on seasonal variations of surface albedo: winter stationary, spring snowmelt, postsnowmelt, summer stationary, and autumn freeze-up per...