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We observed broadband snow albedos in the visible and the near infrared spectral regions with snow pit works of several-day intervals, during the winters of 2001/2002 and 2002/2003 at Shinjo, Japan. We examined the dependence of albedos on snow grain size and on concentration of snow impurities, comparing observations and theoretical calculations using a radiative transfer model for atmosphere-snow system. The comparisons revealed that the snow was contaminated by strong absorptive impurities such as soot additional to moderate absorptive impurities such as mineral dust. Snow albedo reduction after snowfalls (snow aging effect on albedo) observed in both spectral regions corresponded to the growth tendency of snow grains and the increasing concentration of snow impurities with elapsed time after snowfalls. Measurement of the atmospheric aerosols above the snow surface using a laser optical particle counter suggested that wet deposition of atmospheric aerosols caused snow impurities of more than 1 ppmw in mass concentration.

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There are some reports on the measurement of the charge-to-mass ratio of blowing-snow particles, but there are few studies concerned with individual snow-particle charge. We measured the charge-to-mass ratios using snow particles selected according to size, and discussed individual charges. Experiments were conducted in a cryogenic wind tunnel. Charge-to-mass ratios measured in our experiment were all negative and their absolute values tended to increase with a decrease in particle diameter. Individual snow-particle charges were calculated from the average of particle diameter distributions. The charges were all approximated by the power function of diameter at each temperature. Assuming that the coefficient of these approximations is a function of air temperature, we could easily predict the individual snow-particle charge.

To observe aeolian dust in high mountainous areas, two sets of automatic weather station including visibility meters have been installed on the slopes of the Tianshan Mountains and the Kunlun Mountains. The two observation sites are at a height of about 2500 m above sea level, and those slopes face to the Taklimakan Desert. The aeolian dust climbs the slopes with anabatic wind in daytime. Horizontal mass transportation of dust over the slopes on a fine day was estimated using the data set of visibility and wind speed, and its daily and seasonal variations were analyzed. Before this analysis, visibility was converted to dust concentration via a relationship determined by visibility meter and an optical particle counter in a laboratory. It has been recognized that the mass transportation over the slopes reflects activity of the dust outbreak at the foot areas.

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Icing load and icing rate are necessary feedback variables for an intelligent anti/de-icing system to work effectively in harsh cold environment of high north. These parameters may be measured by axial loadings or by rotational loadings, as a function of current demand. However the former may not necessarily be dynamic, whereas the later necessarily be rotational. Sufficiently at a fixed rpm, a mathematical model between additional polar moment of inertia vs electrical demand of the sensor can be established to analytically shape the icing load and icing rate adequately as hypothesized in Cost 727. This paper aims to develop such model and is validated using experimental data from a case study conducted by Atmospheric Icing

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