SnowMicroPen (SMP) force profiles collected during RV POLARSTERN cruise PS118

• Main Authors: Arndt, Stefanie, Haas, Christian
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: PANGAEA 2022
• Subjects: Antarctic; 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; PS118; PS118_20190222_1; PS118_20190223_2; PS118_20190224_3; PS118_20190226_4; PS118_20190301_5; PS118_20190302_6; PS118_20190304_7; PS118_20190307_8; PS118_20190312_9; PS118_20190313_10; Sea ice; Sea Ice Physics @ AWI; snow; SnowMicroPen; SPP1158; Weddell Sea; Antarc*; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.945791; https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.945791

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.