Physical properties of the seasonal snow cover in Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica

Kärkäs, Eija; Granberg, Hardy B.; Kanto, Kimmo; Rasmus, Kai; Lavoie, Chantale; Leppäranta, Matti

doi:10.3189/172756402781817554

Cited by 18 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Snow on the Kvitkuven ice rise (site 2) and Högisen ice dome (site 11) was also investigated. These local topographic features are exceptions in the area, where otherwise the elevation increases with increasing distance from the coast (Kärkäs et al 2002). The coastal area is more affected by the changing sea ice cover and cyclonic activity than high elevation areas (King & Turner 1997).…”

Section: Study Area and Methodsmentioning

confidence: 92%

Physical properties and stratigraphy of surface snow in western Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica

2005

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Information about the spatial variations of snow properties and of annual accumulation on ice sheets is important if we are to understand the results obtained from ice cores, satellite remote sensing data and changes in climate patterns. The layer structure and spatial variations of physical properties of surface snow in western Dronning Maud Land were analysed during the austral summers 1999/2000, 2000/01 and 2003/04 in five different snow zones. The measurements were performed in shallow (1–2 m) snow pits along a transect extending 350 km from the seaward edge of the ice shelf to the polar plateau. These pits covered at least the last annual accumulation and ranged in elevation from near sea level to 2500 m a.s.l. The Ø18O values and accumulation rates had a good linear correlation with the distance from the coast. The mean accumulation on the ice shelf was 312±28 mm water equivalent (w.e.); in the coastal region it was 215±43 mm w.e. and on the polar plateau it was 92±25 mm w.e. The mean annual conductivity and grain size values decreased exponentially with increasing distance from the ice edge, by 48%/100 km and 18%/100 km respectively. The mean grain size varied between 1.5 and 1.8 mm. Depth hoar layers were a common phenomenon, especially under thin ice crusts, and were associated with low dielectric constant values.

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Section: Study Area and Methodsmentioning

confidence: 92%

Physical properties and stratigraphy of surface snow in western Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica

2005

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“…Thus far, only limited research on snow grain or particle size variability has been carried out in Dronning Maud Land (DML), East Antarctica (e.g. Gay et al 2002, Kärkäs et al 2002. Both Gay et al (2002) and Kärkäs et al (2002) preformed digital image photography utilizing different types of image analysis in order to retrieve snow grain size parameters.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Gay et al 2002, Kärkäs et al 2002. Both Gay et al (2002) and Kärkäs et al (2002) preformed digital image photography utilizing different types of image analysis in order to retrieve snow grain size parameters. Gay et al (2002) investigated measurements of the actual grain size with in situ measurements using three separate methods.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Their results show the potential for using digital imagery in grain size measurements and act as a reference base for our investigation. During the Finnish Antarctic Research Programme (FINNARP) 1999/2000, 2000/2001and 2003/2004, Kärkäs et al (2002 gathered grain size data in transects from the shelf ice at the coast to the polar plateau. Data were gathered with the aim of providing information on snow chemistry, physical properties and stratigraphy.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Snow particle sizes and their distributions in Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, at sample, local and regional scales

et al. 2016

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In this study, snow particle size variability was investigated along a transect in Dronning Maud Land from the coast to the polar plateau. The aim of the study was to better understand the spatial and temporal variations in surface snow properties. Samples were collected twice daily during a traverse in 2007-08 to capture regional variability. Local variability was assessed by sampling in 10 × 10 m grids (5 m spacing) at selected locations. The particle size and shape distributions for each site were analysed through digital image analysis. Snow particle size variability is complex at different scales, and shows an internal variability of 0.18-3.31 mm depending on the sample type (surface, grid or pit). Relationships were verified between particle size and both elevation and distance to the coast (moisture source). Regional seasonal changes were also identified, particularly on the lower elevations of the polar plateau. This dataset may be used to quantitatively analyse the optical properties of surface snow for remote sensing. The details of the spatial and temporal variations observed in our data provide a basis for further studies of the complex and coupled processes affecting snow particle size and the interpretation of remote sensing of snow covered areas.

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“…The general spatial distribution in accumulation over the area maintains a rather typical pattern from year to year, but there are substantial variations in absolute accumulation between years (Richardson at al., 1997;Reijmer and van den Broeke, 2003;Richardson-Näslund, 2004). The snow properties are affected by the local topography and distance from the moisture source at the coast (Kärkäs et al, 2002(Kärkäs et al, , 2005.…”

Section: Study Area and Its Climatementioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial and temporal variability in summer snow pack in Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica

et al. 2011

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Abstract.To quantify the spatial and temporal variability in the snow pack, field measurements were carried out during four summers in Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica. Data from a 310-km-long transect revealed the largest horizontal gradients in snow density, temperature, and hardness in the escarpment region. On the local scale, day-to-day temporal variability dominated the standard deviation of snow temperature, while the diurnal cycle was of second significance, and horizontal variability on the scale of 0.4 to 10 m was least important. In the uppermost 0.2 m, the snow temperature was correlated with the air temperature over the previous 6-12 h, whereas at the depths of 0.3 to 0.5 m the most important time scale was 3 days. Cloud cover and radiative fluxes affected the snow temperature in the uppermost 0.30 m and the snow density in the uppermost 0.10 m. Both on the intra-pit and transect scales, the ratio of horizontal to temporal variability increased with depth. The horizontal standard deviation of snow density increased rapidly between the scales of 0.4 and 2 m, and more gradually from 10 to 100 m. Inter-annual variations in snow temperature and density were due to interannual differences in air temperature and the timing of the precipitation events.

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Physical properties of the seasonal snow cover in Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica

Cited by 18 publications

References 38 publications

Physical properties and stratigraphy of surface snow in western Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica

Physical properties and stratigraphy of surface snow in western Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica

Snow particle sizes and their distributions in Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, at sample, local and regional scales

Spatial and temporal variability in summer snow pack in Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica

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