Glacio−meteorology of Ebbabreen, Dickson Land, central Svalbard, during 2008–2010 melt seasons

Abstract

Interior of Svalbard, High Arctic, is relatively arid and warm during the summer, but impact of this quasi-continental climate type on the glacio-meteorology, surface energy balance and melt processes has been seldom researched. This study brings new data from a weather station located on the largest glacier in Dickson Land, Ebbabreen, at 550 m a.s.l from July and August 2008-2010. The paper discusses air temperature and moisture, wind speed, incoming shortwave radiation and estimates of turbulent heat exchange of the melting surface in the background of atmospheric circulation over Svalbard. The results have shown that average insolation in the study area was low with ca. 135 W m-2. Frequent occurrence of strongly negative temperature gradients resulted in mean July-August air temperature of 1.9°C at the measuring site. Relatively low air vapour pressure led to negative latent heat flux, particularly during advection of air masses from the northern and north-eastern sector. The local microclimate supports the sensible heat transfer, which reached its maximum during eastern circulation situations.