Svalbard snow and sea-ice cover: comparing satellite data, on-site measurements, and modelling results (SvalSCESIA)
This is chapter 9 of the State of Environmental Science in Svalbard (SESS) report 2020 (https://sios-svalbard.org/SESS_Issue3). Fundamental knowledge gaps and scaling issues hamper efforts to determine how changes in snow cover and snow distribution affect ecosystems. The presence of snow cover has...
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ftzenodo:oai:zenodo.org:4293804 2023-05-15T15:01:48+02:00 Svalbard snow and sea-ice cover: comparing satellite data, on-site measurements, and modelling results (SvalSCESIA) Killie, Mari Anne Aaboe, SIgne Isaksen, Ketil Van Pelt, Ward Pedersen, Åshild Ø. Luks, Bartłomiej 2021-01-11 https://zenodo.org/record/4293804 https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4293804 eng eng Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System doi:10.5281/zenodo.4293803 https://zenodo.org/communities/sios https://zenodo.org/record/4293804 https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4293804 oai:zenodo.org:4293804 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode In-situ modelling remote sensing sea-ice area snow cover extent info:eu-repo/semantics/report publication-report 2021 ftzenodo https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.429380410.5281/zenodo.4293803 2023-03-11T02:06:38Z This is chapter 9 of the State of Environmental Science in Svalbard (SESS) report 2020 (https://sios-svalbard.org/SESS_Issue3). Fundamental knowledge gaps and scaling issues hamper efforts to determine how changes in snow cover and snow distribution affect ecosystems. The presence of snow cover has huge impact on Arctic ecosystems, human activities, atmospheric processes and Earth’s surface energy balance. Mapping snow cover over large regions is challenging because of its variability over time and space. Also, the small number of weather stations that measure snow cover contributes to a poor observational base. Svalbard is located on the border between the ice-covered Arctic Ocean and the warmer North Atlantic, which means the sea is a controlling factor for Svalbard’s climate. By using remote sensing monitoring it is possible to get a better overview of snow conditions on land. This information can be compared with on-site observations of snow, output from snow models, and evaluated in relation to the sea-ice extent in the adjacent sea. A 34-year satellite data record for snow cover indicates that snow now starts melting more than a week earlier. The total number of snow-free days in summer is increasing fastest in regions dominated by lowland valleys and coastal plains. Most noticeable are the trends centred near the large valleys of Nordenskiöld Land. Negative trends dominate the extent of the sea ice as well. There is significant and positive correlation between sea-ice area and snow-cover extent at elevations up to 250 m in June, the month when snow melt begins. Snow melt, again, is probably strongly affected by ocean–air interactions and energy exchange when warm (or cold) winds from an open (or ice-covered) ocean come in over land. Report Arctic Arctic Ocean Nordenskiöld Land North Atlantic Sea ice Svalbard Zenodo Arctic Arctic Ocean Svalbard Nordenskiöld Land ENVELOPE(15.000,15.000,77.833,77.833) |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Zenodo |
op_collection_id |
ftzenodo |
language |
English |
topic |
In-situ modelling remote sensing sea-ice area snow cover extent |
spellingShingle |
In-situ modelling remote sensing sea-ice area snow cover extent Killie, Mari Anne Aaboe, SIgne Isaksen, Ketil Van Pelt, Ward Pedersen, Åshild Ø. Luks, Bartłomiej Svalbard snow and sea-ice cover: comparing satellite data, on-site measurements, and modelling results (SvalSCESIA) |
topic_facet |
In-situ modelling remote sensing sea-ice area snow cover extent |
description |
This is chapter 9 of the State of Environmental Science in Svalbard (SESS) report 2020 (https://sios-svalbard.org/SESS_Issue3). Fundamental knowledge gaps and scaling issues hamper efforts to determine how changes in snow cover and snow distribution affect ecosystems. The presence of snow cover has huge impact on Arctic ecosystems, human activities, atmospheric processes and Earth’s surface energy balance. Mapping snow cover over large regions is challenging because of its variability over time and space. Also, the small number of weather stations that measure snow cover contributes to a poor observational base. Svalbard is located on the border between the ice-covered Arctic Ocean and the warmer North Atlantic, which means the sea is a controlling factor for Svalbard’s climate. By using remote sensing monitoring it is possible to get a better overview of snow conditions on land. This information can be compared with on-site observations of snow, output from snow models, and evaluated in relation to the sea-ice extent in the adjacent sea. A 34-year satellite data record for snow cover indicates that snow now starts melting more than a week earlier. The total number of snow-free days in summer is increasing fastest in regions dominated by lowland valleys and coastal plains. Most noticeable are the trends centred near the large valleys of Nordenskiöld Land. Negative trends dominate the extent of the sea ice as well. There is significant and positive correlation between sea-ice area and snow-cover extent at elevations up to 250 m in June, the month when snow melt begins. Snow melt, again, is probably strongly affected by ocean–air interactions and energy exchange when warm (or cold) winds from an open (or ice-covered) ocean come in over land. |
format |
Report |
author |
Killie, Mari Anne Aaboe, SIgne Isaksen, Ketil Van Pelt, Ward Pedersen, Åshild Ø. Luks, Bartłomiej |
author_facet |
Killie, Mari Anne Aaboe, SIgne Isaksen, Ketil Van Pelt, Ward Pedersen, Åshild Ø. Luks, Bartłomiej |
author_sort |
Killie, Mari Anne |
title |
Svalbard snow and sea-ice cover: comparing satellite data, on-site measurements, and modelling results (SvalSCESIA) |
title_short |
Svalbard snow and sea-ice cover: comparing satellite data, on-site measurements, and modelling results (SvalSCESIA) |
title_full |
Svalbard snow and sea-ice cover: comparing satellite data, on-site measurements, and modelling results (SvalSCESIA) |
title_fullStr |
Svalbard snow and sea-ice cover: comparing satellite data, on-site measurements, and modelling results (SvalSCESIA) |
title_full_unstemmed |
Svalbard snow and sea-ice cover: comparing satellite data, on-site measurements, and modelling results (SvalSCESIA) |
title_sort |
svalbard snow and sea-ice cover: comparing satellite data, on-site measurements, and modelling results (svalscesia) |
publisher |
Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://zenodo.org/record/4293804 https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4293804 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(15.000,15.000,77.833,77.833) |
geographic |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Svalbard Nordenskiöld Land |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Svalbard Nordenskiöld Land |
genre |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Nordenskiöld Land North Atlantic Sea ice Svalbard |
genre_facet |
Arctic Arctic Ocean Nordenskiöld Land North Atlantic Sea ice Svalbard |
op_relation |
doi:10.5281/zenodo.4293803 https://zenodo.org/communities/sios https://zenodo.org/record/4293804 https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4293804 oai:zenodo.org:4293804 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.429380410.5281/zenodo.4293803 |
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1766333814701817856 |