Snow cover evolution in the High Arctic, Nordenskiöl Land (Spitsbergen, Svalbard)
Year: 2013
Type: article
Abstract: Snow is the most common element in the Arctic and High Arctic environments, and the snow processes have a close relationship with the periglacial ones. The characteristics of the snow cover, its structure, thickness, distribution and ablation processes, are fundamental for the glacial features as well; both snowfall and snow avalanches are the most important accumulation ways for glaciers. On the other hand, a thin snowpack means for permafrost presence and intense periglacial processes development, due to the less isolation and greater cold penetration in the ground. The little nivation received in many areas of the High Arctic, where there is not solar radiation during half year, has a great influence on the snow characteristics and on other processes derived from it, such as snow avalanches and geomorphological features due to the water availability and phenology of the snow. The snow study in Svalbard has been mostly focused on snow avalanches, climate monitoring and distribution. However, there are not so many studies about the snow cover phenology and its relationship with the main periglacial landforms and processes in Nordenskiold area. The aim of this paper is the study of the structure, duration, and distribution of the snow cover in the High Arctic, in order to understand the water availability and the snow cover relevance in the morphogenesis as well.
Institutions: Saint Louis University, Universidad de Valladolid
Language: Spanish
Subfield: Atmospheric Science
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Climate action
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W71179290