Novel and existing observations
Reliable observations of the polar cryosphere are essential but difficult to obtain.
Remoteness, extreme weather and limited infrastructure all constrain what can be measured, while remote sensing technologies face their own limitations, from cloud cover affecting optical sensors to coarse resolution in microwave instruments.
SnowPI combines a wide range of existing datasets with targeted new field campaigns at three key field sites: Svalbard, Qaanaaq in north-west Greenland, and Vernadsky Station on the Antarctic Peninsula.
These sites were chosen both for the rapid change they are experiencing and for the opportunity they provide to observe processes that are currently poorly understood, including drifting snow, depth hoar formation and biological influences on snow albedo.
Svalbard,
East Greeland
Qaanaaq,
North-west Greenland
Vernadsky Station,
Antarctic Peninsula