Quantifying the effects of background concentrations of crude oil pollution on sea ice albedo

Abstract

Abstract. Sea ice albedo plays an important role in modulating the climate of Earth and is affected by low background concentrations of oil droplets within the ice matrix that absorb solar radiation. In this study, the albedo response of three different types of bare sea ice (melting, first-year, and multi-year sea ice) are calculated at increasing mass ratios (0–1000 ng g−1) of crude oil by using a coupled atmosphere–sea ice radiative-transfer model (TUV-snow; Tropospheric Ultraviolet–Visible) over the optical wavelengths 400–700 nm. The different types of quasi-infinite-thickness sea ice exhibit different albedo responses to oil pollution, with a 1000 ng g−1 mass ratio of oil causing a decrease to 70.9 % in multi-year sea ice, 47.2 % in first-year sea ice, and 22.1 % in melting sea ice relative to the unpolluted albedo at a wavelength of 400 nm. The thickness of the sea ice is also an important factor, with realistic-thickness sea ices exhibiting similar results, albeit with a weaker albedo response for multi-year sea ice to 75.3 %, first-year sea ice to 66.3 %, and melting sea ice to 35.9 %. The type of oil also significantly affects the response of sea ice albedo, with a relatively opaque and heavy crude oil (Romashkino oil) causing a significantly larger decrease in sea ice albedo than a relatively transparent light crude oil (Petrobaltic oil). The size of the oil droplets polluting the oil also plays a minor role in the albedo response, with weathered submicrometre droplets (0.05–0.5 µm radius) of Romashkino oil being the most absorbing across the optical wavelengths considered. Therefore, the work presented here demonstrates that low background concentrations of small submicrometre- to micrometre-sized oil droplets have a significant effect on the albedo of bare sea ice. All three types of sea ice are sensitive to oil pollution; however, first-year sea ice and particularly melting sea ice are very sensitive to oil pollution.