Environmental pollution impact on radiation properties of atmosphere, snow and ice cover: Study from Barentsburg (Spitsbergen Archipelago)

• Main Authors: Sviashchennikov, Pavel N., Ivanov, Boris V., Govorina, Irina A.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Masaryk Univerzity 2014
• Subjects: Spitsbergen; snow cover; atmosphere; anthropogenic pollution; Svalbard; Barentsburg; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://journals.muni.cz/CPR/article/view/12858

The value of the albedo of snow and ice surface is associated with the texture and structure of the surface layer of snow or ice (sea ice, glaciers), the peculiarities of the vertical redistribution of contaminations in this layer (mineral or organic particles of various concentrations, the size and shape), temperature regime of the surface layer of the atmosphere. Identifying links with the albedo characteristics of natural and artificial contamination is very important. For example, the results of mathematic modeling the evolution of ice sheets, sea ice and snow cover demonstrate the high sensitivity of the model to this parameter. Original results in the framework of this problem were obtained by researches from AARI and St. Petersburg State University during the 2010-2012 years on Svalbard in the vicinity of the Russian mining settlement Barentsburg. We present original results showing the relationship of "albedo-contaminations" and the influence of anthropogenic factors. The estimation of solar radiation that penetrates deep into the snow, and the impact of contamination on its redistribution in the snow thickness were obtained.