Research Activity in Ny-Ă…lesund 2011-2012
Figure 1 Snow depth of the Austre Broggerbren and Midtre Lovenbreen. The depth is expressed in cm. The depth profile is summarized in colored graph where the snow depth increases from yellow to red. Black dots show the measurement locations for the snow depth while the cyan triangles the location of the snow pit dug. Map courtesy of Norwegian Polar Institute
Two sample aliquots (~ 10 mL) were transferred to pre-rinsed LDPE vials for stable isotopes and Br and I analysis, respectively. Finally, 40-50 mL samples have been placed in LDPE pre-washed bottles for halogen speciation analysis, electrical conductibility, major ions, alkalinity, and total organic carbon (TOC) analysis. An aliquot (about 50g) of the snow/firn core samples was melted at room temperature in glass beaker for detect the presence and amount of large particles. During sampling activities, scientists wore special clean-room clothing and polyethylene gloves (Figure 2) to minimize the risk of contamination. The wall of the snow-pits has been firstly scratched with a polyethylene bar, scraping out the exposed sections that are potentially contaminated during the digging and the glaciological measurements. Sampling has been conducted by plunging 125 mL low-density polyethylene (LDPE) vials perpendicularly into the snow-pit wall. The sampling has been performed from the surface down to the bottom of the snow-pit, with a spatial resolution of 5 cm necessary to obtain a sub-seasonal resolution. The bottles have been capped, packed in double LDPE bags and brought back to the laboratories in Ny-Ă…lesund.
88