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Evolution of the Svalbard annual snow layer during the melting phase

  • Environmental Changes in Arctic
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Abstract

Understanding and monitoring the evolution of annual snow is an important aspect of cryosphere research. Changes in physical proprieties such as hardness, presence of melt layers, or the shape and size of crystals can completely modify the robustness, propriety and quality of the snow. Evaluating these changes can inform the study and prediction of avalanches. The annual snow layer is also a sink for several compounds and elements. In the polar environment, many compounds can be accumulated during winter depositions, especially during the polar night. During the spring, the combination of solar radiation and the melting of annual snow can release these compounds and elements into the atmosphere and groundwater. An in-depth investigation of the evolution of the first meter of the annual snow layer was conducted in the glacier of Austre Brøggerbreen, Svalbard, between the 27th of March and the 31st of May, in concomitance with the start of the melting phase. The present monitoring study mainly aimed to evaluate changes in the thermal profile and water content during the formation of a new ice layer as well as the re-allocation of the total dissolved salts in the different snow layers.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all our colleagues at the CNR Dirigibile Italia Arctic Station who worked and helped us during the field campaign. Special thanks are also due to the Norwegian colleagues and the Norwegian Polar Institute for supporting and joining the field operations. Financials support was also received from the Swedish foundation of Olle Engkvist Byggmästare to M.P. Björkman.

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Correspondence to Andrea Spolaor.

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This peer-reviewed article is a result of the multi and interdisciplinary research activities based at the Arctic Station “Dirigibile Italia”, coordinated by the “ Dipartimento Scienze del Sistema Terra e Tecnologie per l’Ambiente” of the National Council of Research of Italy.

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Spolaor, A., Barbaro, E., Christille, J.M. et al. Evolution of the Svalbard annual snow layer during the melting phase. Rend. Fis. Acc. Lincei 27 (Suppl 1), 147–154 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-015-0500-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-015-0500-8

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