A new sea ice albedo scheme including melt ponds for ECHAM5 general circulation model

摘要: [1] Today we experience an accelerated melting of sea ice in the Arctic which global circulation models are inadequate to predict. We believe one reasons is shortcomings albedo schemes for these models. This paper investigates a physically based scheme ECHAM5 GCM, separates between snow-covered ice, bare melt ponds, and open water (separately albedos fractions). The new includes important components such as decay due snow aging, dependent on thickness, pond depth. explicit treatment has, our knowledge, not been included general before represents substantial improvement when simulating annual cycle albedo. overall reduces both winter, because summer, ponds. reduced leads concentration, volume, with large temporal spatial variations. In Northern Hemisphere March, some areas increased albedo, resulting thicker higher but August pattern spatially homogeneous, concentrations all where has significant effect.