Greenland ice sheet albedo continues dropping at highest elevations
Greenland ice sheet albedo in the elevation range from 2000-2500 m. This is the accumulation area where some melting is observed. Much more melting occurs at lower elevations.
With the most recent update to our near-real time monitoring of ice sheet albedo, we observe that the ice sheet albedo continues dropping into unprecedented low values especially at the higher elevations where there is little melting.
I wonder:
- Are the widespread wildfires, for example in Siberia or in Colorado adding to the albedo reduction?
- Or given that “Since 2000, global coal consumption has grown faster than any other fuel. ” … “Around 6 Gt of hard coal were used worldwide last year and 1 billion tonnes of brown coal. ” source: http://www.worldcoal.org/coal/uses-of-coal/ Is coal combustion part of the problem?
Specialists in snow impurities and albedo are on this problem. But, what are their results?