Influence of snow depth and surface flooding on light transmission through Antarctic pack ice

International audience Snow on sea ice alters the properties of the underlying ice cover as well as associated physical and biological processes at the interfaces between atmosphere, sea ice, and ocean. The Antarctic snow cover persists during most of the year and contributes significantly to the se...

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Published in:Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans
Main Authors: Arndt, Stefanie, Meiners, Klaus M., Ricker, Robert, Krumpen, Thomas, Katlein, Christian, Nicolaus, Marcel
Other Authors: Laboratoire d'Océanographie Physique et Spatiale (LOPS), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: HAL CCSD 2017
Subjects:
Online Access:https://insu.hal.science/insu-03682752
https://insu.hal.science/insu-03682752/document
https://insu.hal.science/insu-03682752/file/JGR%20Oceans%20-%202017%20-%20Arndt%20-%20Influence%20of%20snow%20depth%20and%20surface%20flooding%20on%20light%20transmission%20through%20Antarctic%20pack%20ice.pdf
https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JC012325
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spelling ftinsu:oai:HAL:insu-03682752v1 2024-04-14T08:02:00+00:00 Influence of snow depth and surface flooding on light transmission through Antarctic pack ice Arndt, Stefanie Meiners, Klaus M. Ricker, Robert Krumpen, Thomas Katlein, Christian Nicolaus, Marcel Laboratoire d'Océanographie Physique et Spatiale (LOPS) Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) 2017 https://insu.hal.science/insu-03682752 https://insu.hal.science/insu-03682752/document https://insu.hal.science/insu-03682752/file/JGR%20Oceans%20-%202017%20-%20Arndt%20-%20Influence%20of%20snow%20depth%20and%20surface%20flooding%20on%20light%20transmission%20through%20Antarctic%20pack%20ice.pdf https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JC012325 en eng HAL CCSD Wiley-Blackwell info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1002/2016JC012325 insu-03682752 https://insu.hal.science/insu-03682752 https://insu.hal.science/insu-03682752/document https://insu.hal.science/insu-03682752/file/JGR%20Oceans%20-%202017%20-%20Arndt%20-%20Influence%20of%20snow%20depth%20and%20surface%20flooding%20on%20light%20transmission%20through%20Antarctic%20pack%20ice.pdf BIBCODE: 2017JGRC.122.2108A doi:10.1002/2016JC012325 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/ info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess ISSN: 2169-9275 EISSN: 2169-9291 Journal of Geophysical Research. Oceans https://insu.hal.science/insu-03682752 Journal of Geophysical Research. Oceans, 2017, 122, pp.2108-2119. &#x27E8;10.1002/2016JC012325&#x27E9; light transmittance sea ice Antarctic surface flooding snow shortwave radiation [SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics] [SDU.STU.OC]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Oceanography info:eu-repo/semantics/article Journal articles 2017 ftinsu https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JC012325 2024-03-21T17:13:45Z International audience Snow on sea ice alters the properties of the underlying ice cover as well as associated physical and biological processes at the interfaces between atmosphere, sea ice, and ocean. The Antarctic snow cover persists during most of the year and contributes significantly to the sea-ice mass due to the widespread surface flooding and related snow-ice formation. Snow also enhances the sea-ice surface reflectivity of incoming shortwave radiation and determines therefore the amount of light being reflected, absorbed, and transmitted to the upper ocean. Here, we present results of a case study of spectral solar radiation measurements under Antarctic pack ice with an instrumented Remotely Operated Vehicle in the Weddell Sea in 2013. In order to identify the key variables controlling the spatial distribution of the under-ice light regime, we exploit under-ice optical measurements in combination with simultaneous characterization of surface properties, such as sea-ice thickness and snow depth. Our results reveal that the distribution of flooded and nonflooded sea-ice areas dominates the spatial scales of under-ice light variability for areas smaller than 100 m-by-100 m. However, the heterogeneous and highly metamorphous snow on Antarctic pack ice obscures a direct correlation between the under-ice light field and snow depth. Compared to the Arctic, light levels under Antarctic pack ice are extremely low during spring (<0.1%). This is mostly a result of the distinctly different dominant sea ice and snow properties with seasonal snow cover (including strong surface melt and summer melt ponds) in the Arctic and a year-round snow cover and widespread surface flooding in the Southern Ocean. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Arctic Sea ice Southern Ocean Weddell Sea Institut national des sciences de l'Univers: HAL-INSU Antarctic Arctic Southern Ocean The Antarctic Weddell Weddell Sea Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 122 3 2108 2119
institution Open Polar
collection Institut national des sciences de l'Univers: HAL-INSU
op_collection_id ftinsu
language English
topic light transmittance
sea ice
Antarctic
surface flooding
snow
shortwave radiation
[SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics]
[SDU.STU.OC]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Oceanography
spellingShingle light transmittance
sea ice
Antarctic
surface flooding
snow
shortwave radiation
[SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics]
[SDU.STU.OC]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Oceanography
Arndt, Stefanie
Meiners, Klaus M.
Ricker, Robert
Krumpen, Thomas
Katlein, Christian
Nicolaus, Marcel
Influence of snow depth and surface flooding on light transmission through Antarctic pack ice
topic_facet light transmittance
sea ice
Antarctic
surface flooding
snow
shortwave radiation
[SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics]
[SDU.STU.OC]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Oceanography
description International audience Snow on sea ice alters the properties of the underlying ice cover as well as associated physical and biological processes at the interfaces between atmosphere, sea ice, and ocean. The Antarctic snow cover persists during most of the year and contributes significantly to the sea-ice mass due to the widespread surface flooding and related snow-ice formation. Snow also enhances the sea-ice surface reflectivity of incoming shortwave radiation and determines therefore the amount of light being reflected, absorbed, and transmitted to the upper ocean. Here, we present results of a case study of spectral solar radiation measurements under Antarctic pack ice with an instrumented Remotely Operated Vehicle in the Weddell Sea in 2013. In order to identify the key variables controlling the spatial distribution of the under-ice light regime, we exploit under-ice optical measurements in combination with simultaneous characterization of surface properties, such as sea-ice thickness and snow depth. Our results reveal that the distribution of flooded and nonflooded sea-ice areas dominates the spatial scales of under-ice light variability for areas smaller than 100 m-by-100 m. However, the heterogeneous and highly metamorphous snow on Antarctic pack ice obscures a direct correlation between the under-ice light field and snow depth. Compared to the Arctic, light levels under Antarctic pack ice are extremely low during spring (<0.1%). This is mostly a result of the distinctly different dominant sea ice and snow properties with seasonal snow cover (including strong surface melt and summer melt ponds) in the Arctic and a year-round snow cover and widespread surface flooding in the Southern Ocean.
author2 Laboratoire d'Océanographie Physique et Spatiale (LOPS)
Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author Arndt, Stefanie
Meiners, Klaus M.
Ricker, Robert
Krumpen, Thomas
Katlein, Christian
Nicolaus, Marcel
author_facet Arndt, Stefanie
Meiners, Klaus M.
Ricker, Robert
Krumpen, Thomas
Katlein, Christian
Nicolaus, Marcel
author_sort Arndt, Stefanie
title Influence of snow depth and surface flooding on light transmission through Antarctic pack ice
title_short Influence of snow depth and surface flooding on light transmission through Antarctic pack ice
title_full Influence of snow depth and surface flooding on light transmission through Antarctic pack ice
title_fullStr Influence of snow depth and surface flooding on light transmission through Antarctic pack ice
title_full_unstemmed Influence of snow depth and surface flooding on light transmission through Antarctic pack ice
title_sort influence of snow depth and surface flooding on light transmission through antarctic pack ice
publisher HAL CCSD
publishDate 2017
url https://insu.hal.science/insu-03682752
https://insu.hal.science/insu-03682752/document
https://insu.hal.science/insu-03682752/file/JGR%20Oceans%20-%202017%20-%20Arndt%20-%20Influence%20of%20snow%20depth%20and%20surface%20flooding%20on%20light%20transmission%20through%20Antarctic%20pack%20ice.pdf
https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JC012325
geographic Antarctic
Arctic
Southern Ocean
The Antarctic
Weddell
Weddell Sea
geographic_facet Antarctic
Arctic
Southern Ocean
The Antarctic
Weddell
Weddell Sea
genre Antarc*
Antarctic
Arctic
Sea ice
Southern Ocean
Weddell Sea
genre_facet Antarc*
Antarctic
Arctic
Sea ice
Southern Ocean
Weddell Sea
op_source ISSN: 2169-9275
EISSN: 2169-9291
Journal of Geophysical Research. Oceans
https://insu.hal.science/insu-03682752
Journal of Geophysical Research. Oceans, 2017, 122, pp.2108-2119. &#x27E8;10.1002/2016JC012325&#x27E9;
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https://insu.hal.science/insu-03682752
https://insu.hal.science/insu-03682752/document
https://insu.hal.science/insu-03682752/file/JGR%20Oceans%20-%202017%20-%20Arndt%20-%20Influence%20of%20snow%20depth%20and%20surface%20flooding%20on%20light%20transmission%20through%20Antarctic%20pack%20ice.pdf
BIBCODE: 2017JGRC.122.2108A
doi:10.1002/2016JC012325
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container_title Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans
container_volume 122
container_issue 3
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