Citation:

PANGAEA.995145 (dataset in review)

Name: Snow and surface scattering layer density, salinity and grain size measurements during RV POLARSTERN cruise PS149
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Keywords: Arctic; Sea ice; snow density; snow grain size

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Abstract:

During the Polarstern cruise PS149 from July 2025 to August 2025 in the Atlantic part of the Arctic Ocean snowpit measurements were performed during 29 ice stations. A density cutter of fixed volume (100 cm³) and weight was used to measure the density profile of the snow and surface scattering layer (SSL). The height of the sampled volume was recorded with a rulen given from the bottom height (H rel ice/snow interf [cm] (from snow height)) to the top height (H rel ice/snow interf [cm] (to snow height)). 0 cm is the snow-ice interface, negative values denote the surface scattering layer. The combined weight of the density cutter and the snow inside it was measured with a digital scale. The resulting density is the weight of snow/volume. Snow or SSL was collected in plastic containers and used for subsequent salinity and conductivity measurements onboard (with a Greisinger G1410 salinometer). An intercomparison of the salinometer with two others revealed a bias, which is described in the attached PDF and corrected for in the columns Salinity corrected [PSU] and Sea Conductivity corrected [mS/m].

In addition, the grain size was determined visually with a magnifying glass and a screen with a mm-grid. Here, we recorded average minimum and maximum diameters. As the shape was often not round, which was the case for the SSL that often comes in the form of needles, the diameters are described as width and length, with a given minimum and maximum for both in that case. Otherwise only the width is given, implying a rounder shape. Hardness and grain types according to the stratification identified by the observer in the snowpit are described in the Comment column. The hardness using the hand hardness scale is in addition included in an extra column. All measurements were done within the vicinity of the footprint of the onboard microwave radiometers installed for the VAMPIRE project ( https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.990497), that is, in about 25 m distance to the port bow of Polarstern, further refined in the Location column. For more information about these measurements the user is referred to Chapter 3 of the cruise report.

Keyword(s):

Arctic; Sea ice; snow density; snow grain size

Related to:

Bühler, Linnu; Rückert, Janna Elisabeth; Walbröl, Andreas; Mech, Mario; Krobot, Pavel; Ebell, Kerstin; Schnitt, Sabrina; Spreen, Gunnar (2026): Water vapor, mixed-phase clouds, precipitation and sea ice emissivity over the Central Arctic Ocean (VAMPIRE-2): remote sensing and in-situ measurements suite during POLARSTERN cruise PS149 (CONTRASTS) [dataset bibliography]. PANGAEA, https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.990497

Nicolaus, Marcel (2026): The Expedition PS149 of the Research Vessel POLARSTERN to the Arctic Ocean in 2025. Berichte zur Polar- und Meeresforschung = Reports on Polar and Marine Research, 808, 382 pp, https://doi.org/10.57738/BZPM_0808_2026

References:

Rückert, Janna Elisabeth (2026): Salinometer: Instrument intercomparison and bias correction for PS149 datasets. PS144_Salinometer_instrument_intercomparison_biascorrection.pdf

Project(s):

Arctic Amplification (AC3)

Funding:

Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven (AWI), grant/award no. AWI_PS149_07: VAMPIRE-2

German Research Foundation (DFG), grant/award no. 268020496 : TRR 172: ArctiC Amplification: Climate Relevant Atmospheric and SurfaCe Processes, and Feedback Mechanisms

Coverage:

Median Latitude: 83.531464 * Median Longitude: 11.249861 * South-bound Latitude: 82.411350 * West-bound Longitude: -17.902200 * North-bound Latitude: 84.944320 * East-bound Longitude: 33.998100

Date/Time Start: 2025-07-09T17:48:00 * Date/Time End: 2025-08-27T13:25:00

Minimum Elevation: -4693.8 m * Maximum Elevation: -3011.6 m

Event(s):

PS149_13-1 (Ice Station 1a) * Latitude Start: 83.804469 * Longitude Start: 20.753587 * Latitude End: 83.856951 * Longitude End: 24.252349 * Date/Time Start: 2025-07-09T06:32:22 * Date/Time End: 2025-07-12T18:25:00 * Elevation Start: -4073.9 m * Elevation End: -4071.5 m * O2A Registry URI: https://registry.o2a-data.de/items/8891 * Campaign: (CONTRASTS; ArcWatch 3) * Basis: * Method/Device: Ice station (ICE) * Comment: # Ice Station 1a; Sea ice 1.4m thick on Gangway

PS149_13-2 * Latitude: 83.781185 * Longitude: 20.796691 * Date/Time: 2025-07-09T11:37:09 * Elevation: -4075.2 m * O2A Registry URI: https://registry.o2a-data.de/items/5460 * Campaign: (CONTRASTS; ArcWatch 3) * Basis: * Method/Device: (CTD-RO) * Comment: 4042 m; EL31; failure altimeter software

PS149_13-3 * Latitude Start: 83.762079 * Longitude Start: 20.840436 * Latitude End: 83.761559 * Longitude End: 20.842474 * Date/Time Start: 2025-07-09T14:30:09 * Date/Time End: 2025-07-09T14:35:09 * Elevation Start: -4078.0 m * Elevation End: -4077.5 m * O2A Registry URI: https://registry.o2a-data.de/items/3167 * Campaign: (CONTRASTS; ArcWatch 3) * Basis: * Method/Device: Hand net (HN)

Parameter(s):

#	Name	Short Name	Unit	Principal Investigator	Method/Device	Comment
1	Event label	Event		Rückert, Janna Elisabeth		ice station
2	DATE/TIME	Date/Time		Rückert, Janna Elisabeth		Geocode
3	LATITUDE	Latitude		Rückert, Janna Elisabeth		Geocode
4	LONGITUDE	Longitude		Rückert, Janna Elisabeth		Geocode
5	Location	Location		Rückert, Janna Elisabeth
6	Station label	Station		Rückert, Janna Elisabeth
7	Time in days	Time d	days	Rückert, Janna Elisabeth		at station
8	Height, relative, from ice/snow interface	H rel ice/snow interf	cm	Rückert, Janna Elisabeth	Ruler stick (RULER)	from snow height, negative heights meaning ice
9	Height, relative, from ice/snow interface	H rel ice/snow interf	cm	Rückert, Janna Elisabeth	Ruler stick (RULER)	to snow height, negative heights meaning ice
10	Snow depth	Snow depth	m	Rückert, Janna Elisabeth	Ruler stick (RULER)	total
11	Density, snow	Density snow	kg/m³	Rückert, Janna Elisabeth	Density cutter [100 cm³] and weight
12	Snow salinity	Snow salinity		Rückert, Janna Elisabeth	Salinometer, Greisinger, G1410 [handheld]
13	Snow salinity	Snow salinity		Rückert, Janna Elisabeth	Corrected, see reference(s)
14	Sea ice and snow conductivity	Sea ice+snow cond	mS/m	Rückert, Janna Elisabeth	Salinometer, Greisinger, G1410 [handheld]
15	Sea ice and snow conductivity	Sea ice+snow cond	mS/m	Rückert, Janna Elisabeth	Corrected, see reference(s)
16	Snow grain size, minimum	Snow grain size min	mm	Rückert, Janna Elisabeth	Magnifying glass and grid-card	width
17	Snow grain size, maximum	Snow grain size max	mm	Rückert, Janna Elisabeth	Magnifying glass and grid-card	width
18	Snow grain size, minimum	Snow grain size min	mm	Rückert, Janna Elisabeth	Magnifying glass and grid-card	length
19	Snow grain size, maximum	Snow grain size max	mm	Rückert, Janna Elisabeth	Magnifying glass and grid-card	length
20	Hardness of snow	Snow hardness		Rückert, Janna Elisabeth	Determined by hand
21	Comment	Comment		Rückert, Janna Elisabeth
22	Observer	Observer		Rückert, Janna Elisabeth

License:

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC-BY-4.0) (License comes into effect after moratorium ends)

Status:

Curation Level: Enhanced curation (CurationLevelC)

Size:

2071 data points

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