SnowMicroPen (SMP) force profiles collected during RV POLARSTERN cruise PS111

• Main Author: Arndt, Stefanie
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: PANGAEA 2022
• Subjects: Antarctic; ANT-XXXIII/2; AWI_SeaIce; Binary Object; Comment; DATE/TIME; DFG-SPP1158; Event label; File name; ICE; Ice station; Polarstern; Priority Programme 1158 Antarctic Research with Comparable Investigations in Arctic Sea Ice Areas; PS111; PS111_SIP_10; PS111_SIP_17; PS111_SIP_2; PS111_SIP_3; PS111_SIP_7; PS111_SIP_8; Sea ice; Sea Ice Physics @ AWI; snow; SnowMicroPen; SPP1158; Arctic; Antarc*
• Online Access: https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.945787; https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.945787

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. The SMP signal can 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 repeated measurements, the SMP can help 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. The SMP was used on transect lines with spacings from 0.5 to 2 m between the measurements.