Snowpack characteristics of vestfonna and de geerfonna (nordaustlandet, svalbard) – a spatiotemporal analysis based on multiyear snow‐pit data

Möller, Marco; Möller, Rebecca; Beaudon, Émilie; Mattila, Olli-Pekka; Finkelnburg, Roman; Braun, Matthias; Grabiec, Mariusz; Jonsell, Ulf; Luks, Bartłomiej; Puczko, Dariusz; Scherer, Dieter; Schneider, Christoph

doi:10.1111/j.1468-0459.2011.00440.x

Cited by 19 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 40 publications

(46 reference statements)

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“…The elevation across the summit ridge appears not to be significantly changing (Pohjola et al 2011); hence the spatial and temporal accumulation trend may also result from outflow glacier dynamics, such as observed for Franklinbreen (Pohjola et al 2011). This finding is seemingly not supported by the spatio-temporal snow-pit analysis of Möller et al (2011b) that did not reveal statistically significant zonal variability of snow accumulation across the ice cap. However, to explain that discrepancy between our ice core study and their snow pits analysis Möller et al (2011b) also invoked a spatial difference in the magnitude of the small-scale accumulation variability due to patchy deposition of wind-drift snow.…”

Section: Spatial and Temporal Variability Of Snow Accumulation Rates contrasting

confidence: 70%

“…This finding is seemingly not supported by the spatio-temporal snow-pit analysis of Möller et al (2011b) that did not reveal statistically significant zonal variability of snow accumulation across the ice cap. However, to explain that discrepancy between our ice core study and their snow pits analysis Möller et al (2011b) also invoked a spatial difference in the magnitude of the small-scale accumulation variability due to patchy deposition of wind-drift snow. Möller et al (2011b) present a more detailed discussion of this topic.…”

Section: Spatial and Temporal Variability Of Snow Accumulation Rates contrasting

confidence: 70%

“…The three ice core timescales, adjusted to a common stratigraphic horizon, are used to calculate the net annual accumulation (or amount of water per reconstructed annual layer) at each site that are then compared with results of a climatic mass balance model for the period 2000-2009 (Möller et al 2011b).…”

Section: Dating Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Spatial and temporal variability of net accumulation from shallow cores from vestfonna ice cap (nordaustlandet, svalbard)

Beaudon

Arppe

Jonsell

et al. 2011

Geografiska Annaler: Series A, Physical Geography

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We analyse ice cores from Vestfonna ice cap (Nordaustlandet, Svalbard). Oxygen isotopic measurements were made on three firn cores (6.0, 11.0 and 15.5 m deep) from the two highest summits of the glacier located on the SW-NE and NW-SE central ridges. Sub-annual d 18 O cycles were preserved and could be counted visually in the uppermost parts of the cores, but deeper layers were affected by post-depositional smoothing. A pronounced d 18 O minimum was found near the bottom of the three cores. We consider candidates for this d 18 O signal to be a valuable reference horizon since it is also seen elsewhere in Nordaustlandet. We attribute it to isotopically depleted snow precipitation, which NCEP/NCAR reanalysis shows was unusual for Vestfonna, and came from northerly air during the cold winter of 1994/95. Finding the 1994/95 time marker allows establishment of a precise depth/age scale for the three cores. The derived annual accumulation rates indirectly fill a geographical gap in mass balance measurements and thus provide information on spatial and temporal variability of precipitation over the glacier for the period spanned by the cores (1992)(1993)(1994)(1995)(1996)(1997)(1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)). Comparing records at the two locations also reveals that the snow net accumulation at the easternmost part of Vestfonna was only half of that in the western part over the last 17 years.

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Section: Spatial and Temporal Variability Of Snow Accumulation Rates contrasting

confidence: 70%

Section: Spatial and Temporal Variability Of Snow Accumulation Rates contrasting

confidence: 70%

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Spatial and temporal variability of net accumulation from shallow cores from vestfonna ice cap (nordaustlandet, svalbard)

Beaudon

Arppe

Jonsell

et al. 2011

Geografiska Annaler: Series A, Physical Geography

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“…The resulting value corresponds to 346 ± 45 kg m -3 , lower than the value of the snow overlying the glacier measured in the Vestfonna area (388 ± 45 kg m -3 in Moller et al 2011) or to the value generically determined for Spitsbergen (375 kg m -3 ) by Sand et al (2003). The average density value obtained in this study is influenced by ''high'' number of profiles with seasonal snow in the data set.…”

Section: Snowpack Density (U)mentioning

confidence: 86%

“…Seasonal snow profiles data collected on Vestfonna ice cap as well as on the minor ice body of DeGeerfonna were analysed regarding density, hardness and temperature distribution within the snowpack (Moller et al 2011;Sauter et al 2013). This dataset allows to derive interannual variability of the snowpack, the amounts of snow accumulation across the two studied areas as well as the distribution of Snow Water Equivalent (SWE).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Snowpack characteristics of Brøggerhalvøya, Svalbard Islands

Valt

Salvatori

2016

Rend. Fis. Acc. Lincei

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This paper is focused to the study of spatial variability of snowcover indifferent polar environmental contests. To this aim we present about 200 stratigraphic profiles of the snowpack, collected in the last years (1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012)(2013)(2014)(2015), in selected sites along the coast of the Brøggerhalvøya peninsula (Svalbard Islands). The different layers in the snowpack were identified and classified according to the International Standards, in terms of grain size, grain types, hardness and density. These data were used to calculate average values of hardness and density for each layer showing the same grain type characteristics. These snow stratigraphic profiles, coupled with meteorological observations, represent a valuable dataset to describe the relationship in the snowpack between pluriannial and seasonal snow and to study the characteristics of seasonal snow covers in the Svalbard region and their transformation during spring season. The stratigraphic dataset analysis seem to confirm an Arctic snow climate maritime for Brøggerhalvøya area as evidenced for a different site in Svalbard Island (Longyearbyen) by other authors.

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Multidecadal climate and seasonal snow conditions in Svalbard

et al. 2016

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Svalbard climate is undergoing amplified change with respect to the global mean. Changing climate conditions directly affect the evolution of the seasonal snowpack, through its impact on accumulation, melt, and moisture exchange. We analyze long‐term trends and spatial patterns of seasonal snow conditions in Svalbard between 1961 and 2012. Downscaled regional climate model output is used to drive a snow modeling system (SnowModel), with coupled modules simulating the surface energy balance and snowpack evolution. The precipitation forcing is calibrated and validated against snow depth data on a set of glaciers around Svalbard. Climate trends reveal seasonally inhomogeneous warming and a weakly positive precipitation trend, with strongest changes in the north. In response to autumn warming the date of snow onset increased (2 days decade−1), whereas in spring/summer opposing effects cause a nonsignificant trend in the snow disappearance date. Maximum snow water equivalent (SWE) in winter/spring shows a modest increase (+0.01 meters water equivalent (mwe) decade−1), while the end‐of‐summer minimum snow area fraction declined strongly (from 48% to 36%). The equilibrium line altitude is highest in relatively dry inland regions, and time series show a clear positive trend (25 m decade−1) as a result of summer warming. Finally, rain‐on‐snow in the core winter season, affecting ground ice formation and limiting access of grazing animals to food supplies, peaks during specific years (1994, 1996, 2000, and 2012) and is found to be concentrated in the lower lying coastal regions in southwestern Svalbard.

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Snowpack characteristics of vestfonna and de geerfonna (nordaustlandet, svalbard) – a spatiotemporal analysis based on multiyear snow‐pit data

Cited by 19 publications

References 40 publications

Spatial and temporal variability of net accumulation from shallow cores from vestfonna ice cap (nordaustlandet, svalbard)

Spatial and temporal variability of net accumulation from shallow cores from vestfonna ice cap (nordaustlandet, svalbard)

Snowpack characteristics of Brøggerhalvøya, Svalbard Islands

Multidecadal climate and seasonal snow conditions in Svalbard

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