Snow cover variability across glaciers in Nordenskiöldland (Svalbard) from point measurements in 2014–2016

Abstract. Snow depths and bulk densities of the annual snow layer were measured at 69 different locations on glaciers across Nordenskiöldland, Svalbard, during the spring seasons of the period 2014–2016. Sampling locations lie along nine transects extending over 17 individual glaciers. Several of the locations were visited repeatedly, leading to a total of 109 point measurements, on which we report in this study. Snow water equivalents were calculated for each point measurement. In the dataset, snow depth and density measurements are accompanied by appropriate uncertainties which are rigorously transferred to the calculated snow water equivalents using a straightforward Monte Carlo simulation-style procedure. The final dataset can be downloaded from the Pangaea data repository (https://www.pangaea.de; https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.896581). Snow cover data indicate a general and statistically significant increase of snow depths and water equivalents with terrain elevation. A significant increase of both quantities with decreasing distance towards the east coast of Nordenskiöldland is also evident, but shows distinct interannual variability. Snow density does not show any characteristic spatial pattern.