Snow stratigraphy observations in the katabatic wind region of eastern Wilkes Land, Antarctica.

• Other Authors: JONES, DAMIEN (hasPrincipalInvestigator), ALLISON, IAN (processor), Australian Antarctic Data Centre (publisher)
• Format: Dataset
• Language: unknown
• Published: Australian Antarctic Data Centre
• Subjects: geoscientificInformation; inlandWaters; SNOW COVER; EARTH SCIENCE; CRYOSPHERE; SNOW/ICE; SNOW DENSITY; SNOW DEPTH; DEEP-HOAR; METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS; PRESSURE; SASTRUGI; SNOW SURFACE; STRATIGRAPHICAL MEASUREMENTS; TEMPERATURE; WILKES LAND; EASTERN ANTARCTICA; WIND SPEED; CONTINENT > ANTARCTICA > GEOGRAPHIC REGION > POLAR; Sastrugi; Wilkes Land; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: https://researchdata.ands.org.au/snow-stratigraphy-observations-land-antarctica/699300; https://doi.org/10.4225/15/547800FA6A5CE; https://data.aad.gov.au/metadata/records/ANARE-17; http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-617536

Stratigraphical measurements to a depth of 2-3m in puts were made along a glaciological traverse route from 68.35.S, 113.19E to 69.00S, 130.48E at approximately 2000m elevation in Wilkes Land, Eastern Antarctica. Observations of the snow surface and meteorological conditions began on 29 August and continued until 28 December whilst the stratigraphical measurements were made between 28 September and 20 November 1982. The traverse route lies entirely in the katabatic wind region which encircles the central plateau. The snow surface which develops under the influence of such a constant wind was observed to have some interesting properties. (1) A very hard crust had developed by Sept (early Spring) and this was covered by a thin (1mm) icy glaze. There were observed in conjunction over the length of the traverse and over several years of accumulation as measured in the pits. It is suggested that the glaze is formed by the dissipation of the kinetic energy of drift by friction and the crust by 'sintering' from vapour transport within the snow pack. (2) Erosional processes are very important in the development of the snow cover. Sastrugi were ubiquitous and reached heights of up to 60cm, thereby introducing noise levels sometimes equal to or greater than the annual layering observed in the pits. This complicates any inter-site correlation and disrupts the interpretation of annual layering from the stable isotope ratio, 18 O 16 0 (s18O) (3) The existence of temperature gradients within the snow surface sufficient for the formation of deep-hoar was inferred from its occurrence at least once in the most annual layers at each site. (4) Summer snow surfaces were considerably softer than those of winter and extensive layers of deep-hoar were observed to develop within them. The fields in this dataset are: Year Months Mean Temperature Maximum Temperature Minimum Temperature Mean Station Level Pressure Mean Wind Speed Maximum Wind Gust Days Strong Wind Days Gale Wind Mark Acc metres snow Period 1980-81 and 1981