Antarctic Snowscapes for Predicting the Weather

EPFL scientists measured for the first time - at centimeter resolutions - how the snowscape of Antarctic ice in the sea changed, before and after a blizzard. This data will help build better weather models for the South Pole and the world's climate. EPFL scientists provided the first detailed measurements of how a blizzard affects snow cover on an Antarctic ice floe. Their results are published today in the Journal of Geophysical Research. This data is important for understanding the interaction of the snow and the wind, which affects the dramatic weather around the South Pole and ultimately the world's climate. Every year, sea ice forms and melts along the Antarctic coasts in cycle with the seasons , reaching a maximum surface area in the winter months. This cycle is affected by the snow and wind.