Dataset: snow_pits
Deployment: LMG0205

snow pit data: temperature, density, stratigraphy at various depths

Principal Investigator:

Dr Don Perovich (Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, CRREL)

Co-Principal Investigator:

Dr Doug Martinson (Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, LDEO)

Scientist:

Dr Raymond Smith (University of California-Santa Barbara, UCSB-NCEAS)

BCO-DMO Data Manager:

Nancy Copley (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, WHOI BCO-DMO)

Project:

U.S. GLOBEC Southern Ocean (SOGLOBEC)

Coordinated Deployments:

NBP0204

Data URL:

https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset-deployment/452650/data

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Description

Snowpits were dug at selected locations along the ice survey lines. Vertical profiles of snow temperature, density, grain size, and grain type were measured. Ice and slush layers were also noted. Results from the 22 snowpits examined in 2001 and the 16 snowpits examined in 2002 are summarized.

Related datasets:
ice thickness, ice optics, sea ice, ice properties

Methods & Sampling

Dataset acquisition description

The convention is the zero height, or zero depth is the bottom of the snowpack.

Snow pits were conducted to measure the temperature, salinity, density and ï„18O profile through the snow pack as well as a visual description of grain size, crystal form and hardness of each layer of snow. Many of the sites had an ice surface that was below freeboard due to snow loading. This created a salty slush layer on top of the sea ice that had salinities well above the salinity of seawater and were 10-20 cm thick in places. This slush layer also had a wicked layer of snow above it where the snow was wicking the brine up into the snow pack, 10 cm in places.

Data Processing Description

Dataset Processing Description

More information about this dataset deployment

Funding

Award Number	Funding Source
ANT-9910122	NSF Antarctic Sciences
ANT-9910179	NSF Antarctic Sciences

Instruments

None available yet

Parameters

Supplied Name	Supplied description	Supplied Units	Standard Name
year	year, reported as YYYY, e.g. 1995		year
cruise_id	cruise designation; name		cruise_id
event	event or operation number		event
date_local	local month, day and year		date_local
month_local	month of year, local time , i.e. 01-12		month_local
day_local	day, local time e.g. 22.		day_local
yrday_local	local day and decimal time, as 326.5 for the 326th day of the year, or November 22 at 1200 hours (noon).		yrday_local
snow_depth	snow layer thickness	centimeters	no_bcodmo_term
lat	latitude, in decimal degrees, North is positive, negative denotes South	decimal degrees	lat
lon	longitude, in decimal degrees, East is positive, negative denotes West	decimal degrees	lon
station	consecutive station number		station
temp_air	air temperature	degrees Celsius	temp_air
site	Southern Ocean site identification		site
depth_temp	depth at which temperature was recorded	degrees Celsius	depth
temp	temperature at measurement depth	degrees Celsius	temp
depth_dens	depth at which density was recorded	centimeters	depth
density	density, kilograms/meter3	kg/m^3	density
depth_strat	depth range at which stratigraphy was recorded	centimeters	depth
strat_type	description of snow in a given stratigraphic layer		no_bcodmo_term
strat_thick	thickness of a given stratigraphic layer	millimeters	no_bcodmo_term
depth_wet	thickness of wet layer	centimeters	depth
wetness	relative moisture of snow: dry, moist or very wet		no_bcodmo_term

Database

Contribute Data

Dataset: snow_pits
Deployment: LMG0205

Dataset acquisition description

Dataset Processing Description

Database

Contribute Data

Dataset: snow_pitsDeployment: LMG0205

Dataset acquisition description

Dataset Processing Description

Dataset: snow_pits
Deployment: LMG0205