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Effect of Snow Cover on the Active‐Layer Thermal Regime – A Case Study from James Ross Island, Antarctic Peninsula
Author(s) -
Hrbáček Filip,
Láska Kamil,
Engel Zbyněk
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
permafrost and periglacial processes
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.867
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1099-1530
pISSN - 1045-6740
DOI - 10.1002/ppp.1871
Subject(s) - peninsula , snow cover , snow , permafrost , air temperature , active layer , geology , atmospheric sciences , climatology , physical geography , layer (electronics) , oceanography , geomorphology , geography , archaeology , materials science , composite material , thin film transistor
The response of active‐layer thickness and the ground thermal regime to climatic conditions on the Ulu Peninsula (James Ross Island, northeastern Antarctic Peninsula) in 2011–13 is presented. The mean air temperature over this period was –8.0°C and ground temperature at 5 cm depth varied from –6.4°C (2011–12) to –6.7°C (2012–13). The active‐layer thickness ranged between 58 cm (January 2012) and 52 cm (February 2013). Correlation analyses indicate that air temperature affects ground temperature more significantly on snow‐free days (R 2 = 0.82) than on snow cover days (R 2 = 0.53). Although the effect of snow cover on the daily amplitude of ground temperature was observable to 20 cm depth, the overall influence of snow depth on ground temperature was negligible (freezing n ‐factor of 0.95–0.97). Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.