Irradiance in the snowpack and related physical and optical properties
Irradiance in the snowpack and related physical and optical properties
Biomass production depends on the availability of light below the snowpack and sea-ice covering the ocean. This availability varies spatially and temporally depending on the depth and optical properties of each snow and ice layers. The objective of this work is to estimate the transmitted energy through the snowpack at different stages of the melt, and for different snow depths, snow grain size, and density found on sea-ice. For this, spectral albedo and penetration depth measurements will be conducted in conjunction with the characterization of the snowpack (profile of density and grain size, stratigraphy). We will use several instruments developed at LGGE, Grenoble, which allow such measurements to be conducted in about 15 minutes for the optical properties and 30 minutes for the snow profiles allowing to sample the floe-scale spatial variability. The measurements will be repeated daily over the critical stages of snow melt and timeseries of irradiance at the base of the snowpack will be produced.
Fieldwork site: Field camp, Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Canada
Project Participants: Ghislain Picard (LGGE Grenoble, France); Florent Domine (ULaval)