Comparison of Broadband Surface Albedo from MODIS and Ground-Based Measurements at the Thule High Arctic Atmospheric Observatory in Pituffik, Greenland, During 2016–2024

The surface albedo, α, is one of the key climate parameters since it regulates the shortwave radiation absorbed by the Earth’s surface. An accurate determination of the albedo is crucial in the polar regions due to its variations associated with climate change and its role in the strong feedback mechanisms. In this work, satellite and in situ measurements of broadband surface albedo at the Thule High Arctic Atmospheric Observatory (THAAO) on the northwestern coast of Greenland (76.5°N, 68.8°W) are compared. Measurements of surface albedo were started at THAAO in 2016. They show a large variability mainly in the transition seasons, suggesting that THAAO is a very interesting site for verifying the satellite capabilities in challenging conditions. The comparison of daily ground-based and MODIS-derived albedo covers the period July 2016–October 2024. The analysis has been conducted for all-sky and cloud-free conditions. The mean bias and mean squared difference between the two datasets are −0.02 and 0.09, respectively, for all sky conditions and −0.03 and 0.06 for cloud-free conditions. Very good agreement is found in summer in snow-free conditions, when the mean albedo is 0.17 in both datasets under cloud-free conditions. On the contrary, the capability to determine the surface albedo from space is largely reduced in the transition seasons, when significant differences between ground- and satellite-based albedo estimates are found. Differences for all-sky conditions may be as large as 0.3 in spring and autumn. These maximum differences are significantly reduced for cloud-free conditions, although a negative bias of MODIS data with respect to measurements at THAAO is generally found in spring. The combined analysis of the albedo, cloudiness, air temperature, and precipitation characteristics during two periods in 2023 and 2024 shows that, although satellite observations provide a reasonable picture of the long-term albedo evolution, they are not capable of following fast changes in albedo values induced by precipitation of snow/rain or temperature variations. Moreover, as expected, cloudiness plays a large role in affecting the satellite capabilities. The use of MODIS albedo data with the best value of the quality assurance flag (equal to 0) is recommended for studies aimed at determining the daily evolution of the surface radiation and energy budget.