Ground-based measurements of spatial and temporal variability of snow accumulation in East Antarctica

• Published in: Reviews of Geophysics
• Main Authors: Eisen, Olaf, Frezzotti, Massimo, Genthon, Christophe, Isaksson, Elisabeth, Magand, Olivier, R. Van Den Broeke, Michiel, Dixon, Daniel A., Ekaykin, Alexey, Holmlund, Per, Kameda, Takao, Karlöf, Lars, Kaspari, Susan, Lipenkov, Vladimir Y., Oerter, Hans, Takahashi, Shuhei, Vaughan, David G.
• Other Authors: Abteilung Klinische Sozialmedizin, Berufs- und Umweltdermatologie, Universität Heidelberg Heidelberg, Laboratory of Hydraulics, Hydrology and Glaciology, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich (ETH Zürich), Ente per le Nuove Tecnologie, l'Energia e l'Ambiente (ENEA), Centro Ricerche Casaccia, Laboratoire de glaciologie et géophysique de l'environnement (LGGE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers de Grenoble (OSUG), Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP )-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l'environnement et l'agriculture (IRSTEA)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB Université de Savoie Université de Chambéry )-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP )-Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l'environnement et l'agriculture (IRSTEA)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB Université de Savoie Université de Chambéry )-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Norwegian Polar Institute, Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht (IMAU), Utrecht University Utrecht, Climate Change Institute Orono (CCI), University of Maine, Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI), Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring (Roshydromet), Department of Physical Geography and Quaternary Geology, Stockholm University, Kitami Institute of Technology (KIT), Kitami Institute of Technology, SWIX Sport AS, Lillehammer Norway Directory, British Antarctic Survey (BAS), Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2008
• Subjects: surface mass balance; East Antarctica; measurements; ground-truthing; [SDU.STU.GL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Glaciology; Antarctic; East Antarctic Ice Sheet; Sastrugi; Antarc*; Antarctica; ice core; Ice Sheet
• Online Access: https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-00378349; https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-00378349/document; https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-00378349/file/2006RG000218.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1029/2006RG000218

International audience The East Antarctic Ice Sheet is the largest, highest, coldest, driest, and windiest ice sheet on Earth. Understanding of the surface mass balance (SMB) of Antarctica is necessary to determine the present state of the ice sheet, to make predictions of its potential contribution to sea level rise, and to determine its past history for paleoclimatic reconstructions. However, SMB values are poorly known because of logistic constraints in extreme polar environments, and they represent one of the biggest challenges of Antarctic science. Snow accumulation is the most important parameter for the SMB of ice sheets. SMB varies on a number of scales, from small-scale features (sastrugi) to ice-sheet-scale SMB patterns determined mainly by temperature, elevation, distance from the coast, and wind-driven processes. In situ measurements of SMB are performed at single points by stakes, ultrasonic sounders, snow pits, and firn and ice cores and laterally by continuous measurements using ground-penetrating radar. SMB for large regions can only be achieved practically by using remote sensing and/or numerical climate modeling. However, these techniques rely on ground truthing to improve the resolution and accuracy. The separation of spatial and temporal variations of SMB in transient regimes is necessary for accurate interpretation of ice core records. In this review we provide an overview of the various measurement techniques, related difficulties, and limitations of data interpretation; describe spatial characteristics of East Antarctic SMB and issues related to the spatial and temporal representativity of measurements; and provide recommendations on how to perform in situ measurements.