The Variable Nature of Sea Ice Albedo: How the CONTRASTS Field Campaign Fits into the Existing Literature

ABSTRACT Understanding sea ice optical properties is essential for quantifying shifts in solar energy partitioning and for understanding the Arctic response to warming. The CONTRASTS field campaign characterized the optical property evolution of three sea ice regimes (young thin ice, intermediate age ice, and multiyear ice) by visiting each site three times over June 29 - August 31, 2025. The melt season creates heterogeneity as surface conditions change. Here we present the results of this campaign and examine the impact of synoptic weather events on the surface and albedo of the ice cover. It is possible that increased frequency of ephemeral weather events can therefore influence the ice-albedo feedback, a critical amplifier of climate change. By examining real-world observations, we can better parameterize climate models.