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International Snow Science Workshop International Snow Science Workshop HIGH ARCTIC AVALANCHE MONITORING IN MARITIME SVALBARD Markus Eckerstorfer*, Ullrich Neumann, Hanne H. Christiansen Department of Geology, The University Centre in Svalbard, UNIS, N­9171 Longyearbyen, Norway ABSTRACT: The arctic, high relief Svalbard landscape, largely without vegetation and with a continuous snow cover for large parts of the year, is very exposed to avalanches. Wide plateaus with 500 m deep valleys domi­ nate the geomorphology in central Svalbard, allowing extensive snow drifting. In a changing climate and with an increasing number of people traveling around the Svalbard landscape, there is increased focus on avalanches and their meteorological control. A significant part of a three year research project (CRYOSLOPE Svalbard) is the year around avalanche monitoring programme. The results of avalanche mapping, meteorological observations and snow pit studies are collected in a database accessible online. The collected data show, that avalanches are observed year around. During autumn and the polar night only a few take place. As the air temperature increases and the maximum amount of snow are present at the same time in spring, the peak avalanche season occurs. Avalanches triggered by cornice falls form the majority. The collected data forms the important first systematic knowledge about meteorological, to­ pographical and snowpack conditions, which trigger avalanches in Svalbard. KEYWORDS: Avalanche monitoring and mapping, meteorological observations, high arctic avalanche climate, snowpit study 1. INTRODUCTION takes place, surrounding the main settlement Longyearbyen. Thus avalanche recording is given In the last 50 years a number of ava­ a special importance. lanches caused casualties, material and infrastruc­ To date, little research has been done on ture damage on Svalbard. More knowledge about avalanches in Svalbard. Andrè (1990a, 1990b) the mechanism of snow avalanches in a high arc­ focused on the geomorphologic effects of ava­ tic environment is of great interest to the communi­ lanches, the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute ties living on Svalbard. The increasing snow mo­ (NGI) focused on avalanche safety issues. Hum­ bile traffic takes place in mountainous terrain af­ lum (2002) evaluated avalanche risk by modeling fected by active slope processes. The total num­ wind and topography in the Longyeardalen area ber of rental days of snow mobiles per year more as avalanche building factors. Hestnes (2000) than doubled from 2000 in 1997 to 4500 in 2001 identified meteorological factors which cause ava­ (Unger, 2003). Community traffic is not included. lanches. Ellehauge (2003) first established a win­ Increasing temperature and more precipitation in ter­spring spatial avalanche observation. northern high latitudes predicted by global climate This paper gives an overview of the first models, (Houghton et al. 2001) make improved results from the 1.5 years of the Cryoslope project. knowledge of snow avalanches in high arctic envi­ The workflow, the main tasks and the field work ronments timely and important. Therefore the area are described. An accurate analysis of all three year research project “Cryoslope Svalbard” observed avalanche events and avalanche caus­ coordinated by the University Center in Svalbard ing factors will be carried out. A “high arctic ava­ focus the main scientific question on how cold lanche and snow climate” as an improvement to mountain slopes will respond to future projected the common snow climates, used in different ava­ climate changes on Svalbard. lanche studies (Tremper 2001, McClung 1993), is A main part of the project is a year round introduced. observation of snow avalanches within the area, where most of the tourist and community traffic 2. STUDY AREA AND CLIMATE * Corresponding author address: Markus Eckerstorfer, Department of Geology, The Univer­ The study area (~ 16.8 km²) is located sity Centre in Svalbard, UNIS, N­9171 Longyear­ around Longyearbyen at 78 N in the high arctic, byen, Norway; Tel: +47 79023346; email: containing the 70 km long observation round (so [email protected] called “little round”) (Fig. 1). Longyearbyen (2000 Whistler 2008 784 International Snow Science Workshop inhabitants) is the largest of only a few settlements vegetation in the high relief landscape. The domi­ in the Svalbard archipelago, situated in the centre nant annual wind direction across the study area is of the main island Spitsbergen. The whole archi­ from SSE, local wind directions may vary (Hum­ pelago covers about 63 000 km², between 74 ­ lum, 2002). 81 N and 10 – 35 E. Due to its high latitude, the study area in Mountain massifs, intersected by wide val­ Svalbard is influenced by the polar night (26 Octo­ leys tending E­W dominate the area, reaching ber to 16 February) and midnight sun (19 April to more than 1000 m a.s.l. Many mountains display a 23 August) season, which cause large seasonal plateau­like summit form, controlled by horizontal variations in the amounts of incoming radiation. bedding of the sedimentary rocks. Alpine topogra­ phy can also be found in the area. About 60 % of Svalbard is glacier covered today. Glaciation is 3. METHODS limited to smaller 5 km long glaciers in the study area (Humlum, 2002). The Cryoslope project, studying modern Permafrost is continuous on Svalbard day slope processes, has three main parts. First (Humlum, 2003, et al.) and the thickness in the and most important is the year round observation study area is relatively well known from mining of high arctic mountain slope processes, their im­ operations, ranging from less than 100 m near the pact on traffic, and their potential response to cli­ coasts to more than 500 m in the higher parts. mate change, especially during the snow season. Permafrost affects the ground thermal regime and The second task is the maintenance and compila­ thus also the snowpack temperature. tion of an avalanche observation database. The Sea currents and air masses with different data is processed statistically, mapped in a GIS thermal characteristics heavily influence Svalbard and made accessible to the public on the project and affect the meteorology. The northernmost webpage (http://www.skred.svalbard.no), which margin of the North Atlantic Drift flows along the forms the third main task. During spring 2008, 60 west coast of Svalbard, while cold polar water field trips were carried out in 4 months, so obser­ flows south along the east coast. Another major vation every second day. One part of the study influence is the rapid variations in sea­ice extent, area follows the avalanche exposed Svalsat road which largely control changes in atmospheric cir­ up the plateau mountain west of Longyearbyen culation (Benestad, 2002, et al.) The meteorology (Fig. 1). The main round (50 % of our field trips) is well documented since 1911 (Førland, 1997, et. carried out by snow mobile, passes through six al.) in Longyearbyen. The coldest month is usually valleys, which are divided for the data analysis into February with an average air temperature of 8 parts (Fig. 1). The criteria for choosing this route ­15.2 C, the warmest July, with 6.2 C. The late were: 20 th ­century MAAT (mean annual air temperature) is ­5.8 C (average 1975­2000), but rising up to ­ The frequent traffic on the “little round” by tour­ ­5 C at the beginning of the 21 st century. (Met.no) ists and inhabitants makes safety perspectives Precipitation at sea level is only about 190 of this survey applicable for infrastructure mm water equivalent in Longyearbyen (Førland, planning and daily life activities. 1997, et. al.), but a significant vertical precipitation ­ The variety in elevation. The snow mobile gradient exists with more snow in higher altitudes. track mainly follows the valley bottoms, vary­ The periods February ­ March and August ­ Sep­ ing from 0 m a.s.l. to over 440 m a.s.l. tember are humid, April ­ May is relatively dry. No­ ­ Proximity to Longyearbyen, enables quick and vember ­ December may experience heavy snow­ frequent field access. fall as well as short­lived mild spells. However, all ­ A minimum of logistics and safety, although a seasonal phenomena are exposed to large inter­ full survival kit, rifle and signal pistol for polar annual variations. Therefore snow may fall at any bear protection and a satellite phone are man­ altitude and any time of the year, and forms the datory. During the polar night season, night vi­ dominant type of precipitation. At sea level, the sion equipment is used for slope observations. ground surface is usually snow covered from early ­ The landscape in this area provides both October to early June, higher altitudes tend to be sharp mountain peaks and ridges, as well as covered continuously by snow, except wind ex­ plateau mountains and valleys. posed peaks, slopes and plateaus. ­ The valleys tend N­S as well as E­W and are The wind largely influences the meteorol­ both wide and narrow in cross section. ogy in Svalbard with significant redistribution of snow due to its consistency and the lack of any tall Whistler 2008 785 International Snow Science Workshop )LJXUH7KHPDWLFPDSRIDYDODQFKHHYHQWVIURPWRRE VHUYHGE\WKH&U\RVORSHSURMHFWLQWKHVWXG\DUHD Whistler 2008 786 International Snow Science Workshop ­ The variety of slope aspects and slope inclina­ cate the longer snow period 2008. The high pres­ tions, thus being exposed to different wind di­ sure weather in March / April 2008, as well as the rections and solar radiation, causing different large amount of snow fall in the first week of May conditions in terms of avalanche formation. 2008, resulted in a longer constant snow cover, ­ Coastal as well as inland settings in the study causing a longer field investigation period and area in terms of meteorological and topog­ more avalanches in mid and late May. raphical factors. 4.2 Type and timing of avalanches Intensive field observation starts when Seven different types of avalanches as light conditions and better visibility increase traffic described in the Glossary Snow and Avalanches along the common snow mobile routes.
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