Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Publication Date
29 October 2018

Snow in the Changing Sea-Ice Systems

Authors

Author

Snow is the most reflective, and also the most insulative, natural material on Earth. Consequently, it is an integral part of the sea-ice and climate systems. However, the spatial and temporal heterogeneities of snow pose challenges for observing, understanding and modeling those systems under anthropogenic warming. Here, we survey the snow–ice system, then provide recommendations for overcoming present challenges. These include: collecting process-oriented observations for model diagnostics and understanding snow–ice feedbacks, and improving our remote sensing capabilities of snow for monitoring large-scale changes in snow on sea ice. These efforts could be achieved through stronger coordination between the observational, remote sensing and modeling communities, and would pay dividends through distinct improvements in predictions of polar environments.

“Snow In The Changing Sea-Ice Systems”. 2018. Nature Climate Change 8: 946-953. doi:10.1038/s41558-018-0286-7.
Funding Program Area(s)