An international observing system for long-term measurements in and around the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard addressing Earth System Science questions
Four SIOS-InfraNor moorings with lots of instruments measuring the inflow of warm, nutrient-rich Atlantic water north of Svalbard were deployed on a recent cruise with RV Kronprins Haakon. The cruise was a joint (ad)venture between SIOS-InfraNor, A-TWAIN and Nansen Legacy projects.
The 2019 SIOS access project AC/BC initiated the first longer-term measurements of Black Carbon (BC) concentrations and properties in the air and clouds at the Zeppelin Observatory above Ny-Ålesund with an extended-range single particle soot photometer (SP2-XR; Droplet Measurement Technologies Inc.) – a newly developed and highly sensitive aerosol instrument designed to operate continuously and unattended.
A snow cover index for Svalbard - a time series of total snow-covered area - is highly relevant and of interest for a wide range of fields. It is challenging to map the snow cover for this region due to its large spatial and temporal variability and lack of observational data. By using satellite monitoring it is possible to get a better overview of the snow conditions on land.