SnowMicroPen (SMP) force profiles collected during November, 2023 (event K892B) in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica.

• Other Authors: AADC (owner), AADC, DATA OFFICER (distributor), AADC, DATA OFFICER (custodian), AU/AADC > Australian Antarctic Data Centre, Australia (hasAssociationWith), Australian Antarctic Data Centre (publisher), Australian Antarctic Division (sponsor), Chua, S. and Heil, P. (originator), HEIL, PETRA (hasPrincipalInvestigator)
• Format: Dataset
• Language: unknown
• Published: Australian Ocean Data Network
• Subjects: oceans; climatologyMeteorologyAtmosphere; EARTH SCIENCE > CRYOSPHERE > SNOW/ICE > SNOW DENSITY; SNOW WATER EQUIVALENT; SEA ICE > FREEBOARD; SMP > Snow MicroPenetrometer; FIELD SURVEYS > FIELD SURVEYS; AMD/AU; AMD; CEOS; CONTINENT > ANTARCTICA > MCMURDO SOUND; GEOGRAPHIC REGION > POLAR; Antarc*; Antarctica; Antarctica New Zealand; McMurdo Sound; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://researchdata.edu.au/snowmicropen-smp-force-sound-antarctica/2919616

Progress Code: onGoing The SnowMicroPen (SMP) is a portable device for high-resolution _in situ_ measurements of penetration resistance in snow and can be correlated to snow microstructure (density, specific surface area, snow type). The penetration force is measured using a piezo-electric sensor and is digitally recorded every 4 micrometers vertically. The SMP signal may be used to infer stratigraphy, snow type, and snow microstructure at a vertical resolution of 1-4 mm. Based on the force signal, density and specific surface-area parameterizations are calculated. Through horizontally repeat measurements, the SMP data may be used to relate detailed point-scale snow profiles to a larger sampling area and provide information about the spatial variability of snow stratigraphy and physical snow properties. In November 2023 a SMP was used as part of an Antarctica New Zealand campaign, that supported our (AAS4406) partner Marsden grant. The goal was to investigate snow and sea-ice properties using specialised instruments flown beneath a twin otter aircraft. Airborne data were extended at increased horizontal and vertical resolution by a ground-based team who undertook on-ice measurements of sea ice and snow characteristics using instruments such as the SMP and Magnaprobe. Additional sites were also investigated to aid other research projects in the region. This dataset consists of 451 SMP profiles. All test, calibration and invalid measurements have been removed from these data except those explicitly flagged with scott-base-test-site. These data are binary PNT files that contain force profiles from the instrument, they can be processed using the open source python package, snowmicropyn. The files have also been converted to csv, but if possible, it is recommended to use the original pnt files. Metadata csv: included in the download file. Measurement site flags: scott-base-test-site are the first measurements taken for the season to check the function of the instrument. Sites S01 to S07 were overflown by the Twin ...