Measurements of blowing snow particle size distribution using an open-path optical snow particle counter in Ny-Ålesund during winter 2025

DOI

During the Intensive Observation Period for Water in all its phases (IOP4H2O) an open-path optical Snow Particle Counter (SPC, Sato et al. 1993, Ranjithkumar et al. 2025) measured particle size distributions of snow particles close to the snow surface in Ny-Ålesund from 31st January until 3rd March 2025. Due to a freely rotating wind-vane, the SPC detects snow particles that are transported horizontally by the wind, but can also include falling snow crystals. The detected particles, with diameters ranging from 36 to 500 µm, are sorted into 65 size bins. The snow mass flux (given in kg m⁻² s⁻¹ is calculated by assuming spherical particles with an ice density of 917 kg m⁻³. The SPC was co-located with the Video In Situ Snowfall Sensor (VISSS, Maahn et al. 2024) and mounted around 10 cm above the snow surface, to achieve measurements of the saltation layer. The height of the SPC was regularly adjusted to the changing snow depth. During the first three weeks unrealistically low values were measured for individual size bins because of an error of the SPC (marked by the quality flag) that was solved on 19th February. During this period the size distribution and snow mass flux are inaccurate, but still serve as qualitative measures of blowing snow intensity. This data was collected to investigate sublimation of blowing snow in Ny-Ålesund. It might also be relevant for research on snow accumulation and distribution and to evaluate gauges of solid precipitation.

Identifier
DOI https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.992701
Related Identifier References https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-17-899-2024
Related Identifier References https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.2024.00006
Related Identifier References https://doi.org/10.3189/S0260305500011411
Metadata Access https://ws.pangaea.de/oai/provider?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=datacite4&identifier=oai:pangaea.de:doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.992701
Provenance
Creator Monrad-Krohn, Lukas J; Buhren, Christian ORCID logo; Eickelmann, Laura ORCID logo; Foth, Andreas; Frey, Markus M ORCID logo; Maahn, Maximilian ORCID logo; Marie-Sainte, Wenceslas; Mech, Mario ORCID logo; Poinsot, Thomas; Walbröl, Andreas ORCID logo
Publisher PANGAEA
Publication Year 2026
Funding Reference Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven https://doi.org/10.13039/501100003207 Crossref Funder ID AWIPEV_0043 Intensive Observing Period for H2O; German Research Foundation https://doi.org/10.13039/501100001659 Crossref Funder ID 268020496 https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/268020496 TRR 172: ArctiC Amplification: Climate Relevant Atmospheric and SurfaCe Processes, and Feedback Mechanisms; Natural Environment Research Council https://doi.org/10.13039/501100000270 Crossref Funder ID NE/X009319/1 https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=NE/X009319/1 SURface FluxEs In AnTarctica (SURFEIT)
Rights Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International; Data access is restricted (moratorium, sensitive data, license constraints); https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
OpenAccess false
Representation
Resource Type Dataset
Format text/tab-separated-values
Size 159023817 data points
Discipline Earth System Research
Spatial Coverage (11.923 LON, 78.923 LAT)
Temporal Coverage Begin 2025-01-31T19:11:07Z
Temporal Coverage End 2025-03-03T13:04:59Z