Monitoring spatial and temporal variations of surface albedo on Saint Sorlin Glacier (French Alps) using terrestrial photography.

The article presents a study which examines the temporal and spatial variations of surface albedo on Saint Sorlin Glacier in French Alps, France. The study develops a method of retrieving the albedo of frozen surfaces using terrestrial photography during the summers 2008 and 2009. The results of the study reveal the factors contributing to the variability of the albedo of glaciers including size and shape of the ice grains, surface roughness and content of impurities.