HR: 08:30h
AN: A51D-03    [Abstracts]
TI: The Darkening of the Earth's Albedo at High Northern Latitiudes During 2006 as Measured by MISR
AU: * Davies, R
EM: r.davies@auckland.ac.nz
AF: University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
AB: The deseasonalized anomalies in the time series of globally averaged top-of-atmosphere spectral albedos measured by MISR have now been analyzed from 2000 through 2006. The initial record from 2000 through 2005 showed little in the way of significant anomalies. However, a significant decrease was detected during mid 2006. This anomaly disappeared by the end of 2006 and does not appear to be an instrumental or sampling aberration. The 2006 anomaly is restricted to latitudes north of 40° during late Spring and early Summer, and is large enough to affect the global annual average. The implications of this measurement for sustained ice/snow-albedo feedback will be discussed.
DE: 0321 Cloud/radiation interaction
DE: 3305 Climate change and variability (1616, 1635, 3309, 4215, 4513)
DE: 3359 Radiative processes
SC: Atmospheric Sciences [A]
MN: 2007 Joint Assembly