Albedo Measuring spectral albedo on sea ice along a transect (Photo: AWI Meereisphysik) Melt pond on Arctic sea ice (Photo: Marcel Nicolaus) Surface albedo of ice-covered regions in the Arctic and Antarctic [...] summer when melt water (of snow and sea ice) accumulates on Arctic sea ice and forms melt ponds. These bluish areas absorb much more energy (solar radiation) than the white ice around it. We study the spatial [...] spatial variability of surface albedo along transects over Arctic sea ice, but also with autonomous stations, recording time series that reveal seasonal changes.