Experimental assessment of sunlight Radiative Transfer process through complex snowpacks

Le résumé fourni par la source

Snowpack in polar and high-altitude regions is a fundamental component of the Earth system, influencing energy balance, glacier dynamics, ecosystems, and atmospheric chemistry. Its high albedo allows freshly fallen snow to reflect most incoming solar radiation, but even small changes-caused by liquid water, metamorphism, or impurities such as dust and black carbon-can significantly reduce reflectivity. This effect enhances energy absorption, accelerates melting, and triggers a positive feedback loop, further amplified by snowline retreat exposing darker, low-albedo ice surfaces. Despite its typically shallow penetration, solar radiation within the snowpack plays a crucial role in driving photochemical reactions and sustaining biological activity, including snow algae and subnival vegetation.Understanding how light propagates through snow layers is therefore essential, particularly in rapidly warming regions such as the Arctic. However, current knowledge relies largely on simplified radiative transfer models and numerical simulations, often constrained by strong assumptions and limited experimental validation. This gap is critical, as accurate characterization of light-snow interactions underpins predictions of albedo feedback and polar climate change.In this work, present a novel custom-made optical probe enabling high-resolution, minimally invasive measurements of sunlight radiative flux across three spectral bands at different depths. Field observations across diverse environments reveal that light penetration depth strongly depends on peculiar snow properties and can exhibit complex features not captured by existing models, highlighting the need for integrated experimental and modeling strategies.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.