Studies on the blowing snow contribution on the surface mass balance of Antarctica with a new blowing snow measurement system

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On the Antarctic ice sheet, strong katabatic winds blow throughout the year and a large but unknown fraction of the snow which falls on it is removed continuously. This constitutes a significant factor in mass and energy balance and is all the more important when predicting the likely effects of global climate change. Thus, we started to develop a simple blowing snow obsevation device by measuring the attenuation of the light intensity, which strongly depends on the blowing snow flux. A small wind turbine and a cold-proof buttery were utilized as a power source. Firstly, its performance was tested in a cold wind tunnel system and it proved adequately fit for practical use by combining the output of the anemometer. In 2009/2010 winter, three systems have been set at Ishikari, Japan, Col du Lac blanc in France, and S17 near Syowa station in Antarctica.