Snow on sea ice

Sea ice plays a key role within the climate and ecosystems. Although it only occurs in high latitudes, it affects processes well beyond polar regions. Snow on sea ice is of outstanding importance as it strongly influences the energy and mass balances within the atmosphere-ice-ocean system due to vigorous interactions with sea ice and atmosphere. Although these interactions, snow properties, and snow processes are most distinct in summer, they are only sparse investigated during this season.

Our main objectives are to describe the properties of snow on sea ice during different seasons with major studies of spring and summer processes, including snow melt and superimposed ice formation as a function of the surface energy balance. To achieve this, several expeditions to the Arctic (incl. Svalbard) and the Antarctic (especially Weddell Sea) are performed. These in-situ observations are expanded in space and time through the application of numerical studies and analyses of remote sensing products. One-dimensional, high resolution numerical studies allow insights into small scale snow processes as well as long-term monitoring of snow on sea ice.