"Uncovering Arctic Warming: New Insights on Chasing the Light"

A study by Sandia researchers using GPS satellite radiometer data has revealed new insights into the reduction of sunlight reflectivity, or albedo, in the Arctic, which is heating up at a rate four times faster than the rest of the planet. The study found a 20% to 35% decrease in total reflectivity over the Arctic summer, with one-third attributed to fully melted ice and the remaining two-thirds likely caused by the weathering of the remaining sea ice. The researchers hope that their findings will be incorporated into models for Arctic amplification and plan to continue mining the GPS data for further analysis.