Snow Accumulation, Variation and Evolution around Ny-Ålesund

Snow is one the main interfaces between Earth surface and the atmosphere and covers 95% of Svalbard surface area during boreal winter. It has a very high albedo and a low thermal conductivity and both properties considerably affect the mass balance of glaciers and the dynamic of Svalbard vertebrates (grounded ice formation). Because of its high spatial and temporal variability, monitoring snow properties has been proven difficult and the use of snow model becomes more and more attractive. We wish therefore to collect basic but detailed snow physical properties over one glacier and one land area around Ny-Ålesund in order to compare the resultant data with a detailed snow physical model. The purpose is to identify the key processes in which snow is playing a crucial role and test the sensitivity of climatic parameter in order to better understand the role of snow on Earth systems in several existing projects and for future larger project that will be developed in Svalbard.