Rain-On-Snow (ROS) events and their relations to snowpack and ice layer changes on small glaciers in Svalbard, the high Arctic
2020
Sobota, Ireneusz | Weckwerth, Piotr | Grajewski, Tomasz
The research consisted in a detailed analysis of Rain-On-Snow (ROS) events in the winter season (November–April) in the area of Waldemarbreen and Irenebreen – two glaciers subject to long-term monitoring on Kaffiøyra, NW Spitsbergen. The intensity and frequency of ROS events were evaluated along with their long-term variability in the years 1976–2018. An attempt was made to identify the relationship between ROS events and the properties of the snow cover of Waldemarbreen and Irenebreen – mainly changes in the number and thickness of ice layers and snow density, which have a major influence on the winter snowpack and on the time the snow begins to melt. These are some of the first studies of this type concerning not only glacier forefields but also changes occurring on glaciers. It was found that as the temperature of air has been rising in recent years, the melting of snow has been beginning earlier on glaciers and in their forefields. Also, the frequency and size of ROS events has increased. In recent years the number of days with heavy ROS events – mainly over 15 mm, but also under 15 mm – have been on the increase. The ROS events affect the number of ice layers, whereas heavy ROS events contribute to the formation of ice layers of greater thickness. The increase in ROS events is accompanied by a decrease in snow density on glaciers. As with the number of ROS events within a given year, there is also a clear increase in the number of ice layers and their thickness on the snow cover, in particular on small glaciers in the High Arctic.
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