Assessment of Variations in the Snow Accumalation Rate in Northern Greenland

该奖项旨在支持一个为期三年的项目，以评估格陵兰岛北部积雪率的变化。先前的研究表明，浅层冰芯的同位素记录可以用来确定雪温和积雪的年际循环，甚至可能是季节性循环。为了评估季节和年际变化，同位素温度记录需要从现场气象测量中进行校准。正在进行的遥感研究似乎表明，亮度温度的年际趋势可以用作年积累的代理数据，但这项工作需要从格陵兰岛北部的冰芯数据进行校准。结合稳定同位素测量、遥感和地表能量平衡数据，可以评估年际和季节过程如何影响积雪的大小和变率。将建立气象数据收集站，并在格陵兰岛东北部和西北部两个站点周围400平方公里的区域内钻取5个浅冰芯。Argos卫星链接将提供来自每个远程站点的数据传输能力。晶粒尺寸和温度分布，升华和能量平衡将使用一维能量和质量通量模型计算。

This award is for support for a 3 year program to assess the variation in the snow accumulation rate in northern Greenland. Previous work has shown that isotope records from shallow ice cores can be used to identify interannual and perhaps seasonal cycles of snow temperature and accumulation. In order to assess seasonal and interannual variability, the isotope temperature record requires calibration from in situ meteorologic measurements. On- going remote sensing research appears to show that interannual trends in brightness temperature can be used as proxy data for annual accumulation but this work requires calibration from ice core data in northern Greenland. Combining stable isotope measurements, remote sensing, and surface energy balance data will allow an assessment of how interannual and seasonal processes affect the magnitude and variability of snow accumulation. Meteorologic data collection stations will be established and five shallow ice cores will be drilled in a 400 km2 area around each of two stations, one in northeastern and one in northwestern Greenland. Argos satellite links will provide data transmission capability from each remote site. Grain size and temperature profiles, sublimation, and energy balance will be calculated using a one-dimensional energy and mass flux model.