Changing Arctic snow cover: A review of recent developments and assessment of future needs for observations, modelling, and impacts

Abstract

Snow is a critically important and rapidly changing feature of the Arctic. However, snow-cover and snowpack conditions change through time pose challenges for measuring and prediction of snow. Plausible scenarios of how Arctic snow cover will respond to changing Arctic climate are important for impact assessments and adaptation strategies. Although much progress has been made in understanding and predicting snow-cover changes and their multiple consequences, many uncertainties remain. In this paper, we review advances in snow monitoring and modelling, and the impact of snow changes on ecosystems and society in Arctic regions. Interdisciplinary activities are required to resolve the current limitations on measuring and modelling snow characteristics through the cold season and at different spatial scales to assure human well-being, economic stability, and improve the ability to predict manage and adapt to natural hazards in the Arctic region.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13280-016-0770-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Evaluating the performance of coupled snow–soil models in SURFEXv8 to simulate the permafrost thermal regime at a high Arctic site

“…It is well known that measuring precipitation in the Arctic is a challenge, especially in winter when snow falls in windy conditions and precipitation gauges are only catching between 20 and 70 % of the actual amount of snow (Goodison et al, 1998;Liston and Sturm, 2002). But using a shielded precipitation gauge and correcting data using wind speed data should help reduce the large uncertainty that we have using ERA-Interim precipitation data alone, as already recommended by Bokhorst et al (2016).…”

Changes in Winter Warming Events in the Nordic Arctic Region

“…Of great concern is that this arctic amplification is projected to result in more winter warming events and, in particular, more frequent and intensified rain-on-snow (ROS) events (e.g., Rennert et al 2009;Putkonen et al 2009). Such events can lead to the formation of thick internal ice layers in the snowpack or ground ice, impacting the ground vegetation and restricting access to winter fodder for overwintering herbivores (e.g., voles, reindeer, or musk ox; e.g., Forchhammer and Boertmann 1993;Putkonen and Roe 2003;Kausrud et al 2008;Bokhorst et al 2009;Hansen et al 2013;Bjerke et al 2014). For arctic societies, such events may also have major impacts on, for example, transportation and infrastructure (e.g., Hansen et al 2014;Stewart et al 2015).…”

Impact of snow deposition on major and trace element concentrations and elementary fluxes in surface waters of the Western Siberian Lowland across a 1700 km latitudinal gradient

“…The snow cover exhibits a number of properties making it a unique natural archive and indicator of the ecosystem status (Baltrėnaitė et al, 2014;Bokhorst et al, 2016;Callaghan et al, 2011;de Caritat et al, , 2005Garbarino et al, 2002;Guéguen et al, 2016;Kashulina et al, 2014;Lisitzin, 2002;Niu et al, 2016;Ross and Granat, 1986;Singh et al, 2011;Siudek et al, 2015;Van de Velde et al, 1999;Walker et al, 2003). The snow washes out insoluble aerosol particles from the atmosphere as well as soluble compounds, including various pollutants (Telmer et al, 2004;Barrie, 1986;Tranter et al, 1986Tranter et al, , 1987.…”