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University of Helsinki Division of Geophysics Seasonal UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI DIVISION OF GEOPHYSICS REPORT SERIES IN GEOPHYSICS No 47 SEASONAL SNOW IN ANTARCTICA DATA REPORT K. Rasmus, H. Granberg, K. Kanto, E. Kärkäs, C. Lavoie and M. Leppäranta HELSINKI 2003 UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI DIVISION OF GEOPHYSICS REPORT SERIES IN GEOPHYSICS No 47 Cover: Eija Kärkäs making snowpit measurements on the Högisen ice dome 6.1.2001. Photograph by H. Granberg. SEASONAL SNOW IN ANTARCTICA DATA REPORT K. Rasmus1, H. Granberg2, K. Kanto1, E. Kärkäs1, C. Lavoie2 and M. Leppäranta1 1University of Helsinki, Division of Geophysics, Helsinki, Finland 2Université de Sherbrooke, Centre d’applications et de recherches en teledetection, Sherbrooke, Canada HELSINKI 2003 2 ISBN 952-10-0953-5 ISSN 0355-8630 Helsinki 2003 Yliopistopaino 3 PREFACE The project ’Seasonal Snow in Antarctica’ was set up to measure the physical properties of Antarctic snow cover in 1999-2001. The partners in the project are the Department of Geophysics (from 1 August 2001 the Division of Geophysics at the Department of Physical Sciences) at the University of Helsinki and Centre d'Applications et de Recherches en TÉLédétection (CARTEL) at Université de Sherbrooke in Québec, Canada. The objectives of this Antarctic research project were: to examine the structure and properties of the snow cover; to collect a one year data series of snow cover evolution; to examine the albedo and the internal radiation climate in snow and ice; to examine snow by satellite remote sensing; and to study the snow on Antarctic sea ice cover. Fieldwork was done at the Finnish Antarctic research station Aboa in Dronning Maud Land during FINNARP 1999 and 2000 and at the South African research station SANAE 4 during FINNARP 2000. Measurements were made using classical snow pit method, ground-penetrating radar for the spatial variability of snow properties, and automatic snow stations for the snow accumulation and temperature over the Antarctic winter. Also measurements were made of reflected radiation and the attenuation of radiation inside the snow cover. Some sea ice measurements were made during the FINNARP 1999 expedition. The present document is the project data report. An introduction is given of the project, descriptions of the experiments are made, and the data obtained by the scientists in the different working groups during the two expeditions to Antarctica are described. A CD containing the data is available at the Division of Geophysics on request. FINNARP (FINNish Antarctic Research Programme) coordinated by the Finnish Institute for Marine Research is acknowledged for making these expeditions possible. The expedition chiefs at Aboa (Henrik Sandler and Jaakko Mäkinen) and SANAE 4 (Adriaan Dreyer) together with the personnel are thanked for their help and advice. This project is financed by the Academy of Finland (Academy project number 43925). Helsinki, 13 January 2003 Kai Rasmus Division of Geophysics, University of Helsinki 3 4 Contents PREFACE ...........................................................................................................................................................1 CONTENTS ........................................................................................................................................................5 1. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................7 2. SNOW IN ANTARCTICA.........................................................................................................................8 2.1 Snow and accumulation.............................................................................................. 8 2.2 Snow properties in Antarctica .................................................................................... 9 2.3 Snow on sea ice ........................................................................................................ 10 2.4 Snow on nunataks and blue ice areas ....................................................................... 10 3. EXPEDITIONS......................................................................................................................................... 12 3.1 Description of the research area and research stations............................................. 12 3.2 FINNARP 1999........................................................................................................ 14 3.3 FINNARP 2000........................................................................................................ 16 3.3.1 Fieldwork at SANAE 4...................................................................................... 18 3.4 Strategy..................................................................................................................... 19 4. SNOW MEASUREMENTS ..................................................................................................................... 19 4.1 Methods .................................................................................................................... 19 4.1.1 Snow pit measurements ..................................................................................... 19 4.1.2 Ground penetrating radar................................................................................... 23 4.1.3 Surface ground truth measurements................................................................... 23 4.2 Field measurements 1999/2000 at Aboa .................................................................. 24 4.2.1 Preliminary snow pit results 1999/2000 ............................................................ 25 4.2.2 Preliminary snow radar results 1999/2000 ........................................................ 29 4.3 Field measurements 2000/2001 at Aboa .................................................................. 30 4.3.1 Preliminary snow pit results from Aboa area 2000/2001 .................................. 31 4.4 2000/2001 season at SANAE 4 ................................................................................ 36 4.4.1 Preliminary snow pit results from SANAE 4 2000/2001 .................................. 38 4.5 Automated snow sensors .......................................................................................... 41 4.5.1 Sensor description.............................................................................................. 41 4.5.2 Snow sensor installation and retrieval procedures............................................. 42 4.5.3 Problems with the automatic snow stations....................................................... 44 4.5.4 Summary of the performance of individual snow sensors................................. 45 4.5.5 Data analysis...................................................................................................... 46 5. SOLAR RADIATION IN THE SNOW COVER ................................................................................... 46 5.1 Instrumentation......................................................................................................... 46 5.1.1 Description of the LI-1800UW.......................................................................... 46 5.1.2 Description of EP-16 ......................................................................................... 47 5.1.3 Description of PS 2 ............................................................................................ 47 5.2 Albedo measurements............................................................................................... 48 5.2.1 Data handling..................................................................................................... 49 5.3 Preliminary results.................................................................................................... 49 5.4 Bi-directional spectral reflectance measurements.................................................... 54 5.5 Attenuation measurements ....................................................................................... 57 5.6 Helicopterborne spectroradiometry.......................................................................... 64 6. ICE OBSERVATIONS.............................................................................................................................65 6.1 Sea ice....................................................................................................................... 65 6.2 Blue ice..................................................................................................................... 66 6.2.1 Blue ice studies at Aboa..................................................................................... 66 5 6.2.2 Blue ice studies in 2000/2001 at SANAE 4....................................................... 68 7. CONCLUSIONS....................................................................................................................................... 68 8. REFERENCES .........................................................................................................................................68 9. APPENDIX A............................................................................................................................................ 71 6 1. Introduction The Antarctic continent is an important component of our global thermostatic control system. Its surface beams thermal radiation directly to space through a very large, clear window of dry, descending air known as the Antarctic anticyclone. The height of the ground surface in most
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