Blowing snow detection from ground-based ceilometers: application to East Antarctica | CU Experts

Abstract. Blowing snow impacts Antarctic ice sheet surface mass balance by snow redistribution and sublimation. Yet, numerical models poorly represent blowing snow processes, while direct observations are limited in space and time. Satellite retrieval of blowing snow are hindered by clouds and only consider the strongest events. Here, we develop a blowing snow detection algorithm for ground-based remote sensing ceilometers in polar regions. Results show that 79 % of the detected events are in agreement with visual observations. The algorithm is capable to detect both blowing snow lifted from the ground and occurring during precipitation, which is an added value since most of the blowing snow occurs during synoptic events, often combined with precipitation. Our analysis of atmospheric meteorological variables during blowing snow shows that blowing snow occurrence strongly depends on fresh snow availability in addition to wind speed, while the threshold for snow particles to be lifted is commonly parametrized as a function of wind speed only. These results suggest that the effect of katabatics and wind speed might have been overestimated, and that fresh snow availability should be considered in determining the blowing snow onset.;

Gossart A; Souverijns N; Gorodetskaya IV; Lhermitte S; Lenaerts JTM; Schween JH; Mangold A; Laffineur Q; van Lipzig NPM

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