here we show , using space - borne multispectral data collected during the 3 decades from 1981 to 2012 , that summertime surface albedo over the gris decreased at a statistically significant ( 99 % ) rate of 0.02decade−1 between 1996 and 2012 .
one of those processes is n't been driving the change , the study says .
the surface energy balance and meltwater production of the greenland ice sheet ( gris ) are modulated by snow and ice albedo through the amount of absorbed solar radiation .
an aerial image of greenland shows rivers of meltwater and areas of dark ice sheet – its diminishing ability to reflect the sun 's radiation .
by the end of the 21st century , greenland ’s “ albedo , ” or reflectivity , has been decreasing since the mid 90s .
over the same period , albedo modelled by the modèle atmosphérique régionale ( mar ) also shows a decrease , though at a lower rate ( ∼ −0.01decade−1 ) than that obtained from space - borne data .
greenland 's surface is absorbing more solar radiation as melting increases grain size and brings old impurities to the surface .
we suggest that the discrepancy between modelled and measured albedo trends can be explained by the absence in the greenland 's ice is getting darker , increasing risk of melting feedback loops from melting itself are driving changes in reflectivity greenland 's snowy surface has been getting darker over the past two decades , absorbing more heat from the sun and increasing snow melt , a new study of satellite data shows .
the study , published thursday in the cryosphere , a journal of the european geosciences union , considers the processes by which an ice sheet loses its ability to reflect sunlight – its albedo – terming this diminishing capability as “ darkening .