Snow distribution at a high Arctic site at Svalbard

In the Arctic regions snow cover has a major influence on the environment b oth in a hydrological and ecological context. Due to strong winds and open terrain the snow is heavily redistributed and the snow depth is quite varia ble. This has a significant influence on the duration: of the melting seaso n, on the possibilities of greenhouse gas exchange, the plant growing seaso n and therefore the arctic terrestrial fauna. The aim of this study is to d escribe the snow depth variability by detailed measurement of snow distribu tion in a 3 km(2) site near to Ny-Alesund at 79 degrees north of Svalbard a nd to link this to topography and climate at the location. The measurements were carried out in a grid of 100 m by 100 m cells using the SIR-2 Georada r from Geophysical Survey System Inc. (GSSI). Differential GPS was used to create a detailed Digital Elevation Model (DEM ) and the snow depth data were correlated to topographic data. The average snowdepth in the area was about 70 cm with a standard deviation of 40 cm. S tatistical distribution and spatial correlation for the snow depths were fo und. The method was found acceptable for snow distribution mapping. The mai n observation was the major accumulation in the west facing slopes due to e asterly winds that are dominant in this area.