Peter Kuipers Munneke
Polar scientist
About me
I am a scientist in the field of glaciology and polar meteorology at the Institute for Marine and Atmospheric research Utrecht (IMAU), part of Utrecht University, The Netherlands. I'm active on Mastodon.
Featured paper: NAO and Greenland firn
The large-scale weather pattern over the North Atlantic is variable, and it impacts Greenland surface mass balance, and firn mass. We find that a more positive phase of NAO (i.e., more zonal flow) since 2012 has slowed down the loss of firn over most of the ice sheet.
Blue ice in Antarctica
Using a spectral unmixing technique, we map daily fractions of blue-ice area over Antarctica for the 22-year period since 2000, using the full available MODIS archive. This FABIAN product is published in Remote Sensing of Environment.
SURE 07
In June and July 2007, we carried out an experiment about radiation and snow cover at Summit Camp, a research station on the Greenland ice sheet. The experiment goes by the name of SURE 07, which stands for Summit Radiation Experiment 2007.
Field report
The SURE 07 field report is now available.
Introduction and aim
The aim of the experiment is to measure simultaneously all essential elements in the interaction between radiation on one hand, and snow and the atmosphere on the other. SURE 07 is expected to contribute to our understanding of the radiation and energy balance of a summer ice sheet surface, and what atmospheric and snow-related processes govern these balances.
Snow crystals and radiation
A novel technique developed by Margret Matzl and Martin Schneebeli from the SLF in Davos, Switzerland, enables us to make a detailed study of the optically equivalent snow grain size using infrared photography. Snow samples were taken and shipped to Switzerland for post-analysis of grain size. In this way, the snow pack is optically quantified with a high resolution. This provides a connection to the DAK radiative transfer model for the snow-atmosphere system.
Broadband and spectral radiation
The radiation field close to the surface was measured using a variety of instruments. For longwave broadband radiation, the Kipp&Zonen CG4 was used, as well as an Eppley PIR and the Kipp&Zonen CNR1. For shortwave broadband radiation, the CM21 and the CNR1 (Kipp&Zonen) were used. The diffuse component was measured with a CM21 equipped with a shadowband.
Furthermore, we measured shortwave radiation in 9 satellite bands (AVHRR 1 and 2, MODIS 2, 5 and 6, MISR 2 and 3, and TM 2 and 4), both global and reflected. This gives the opportunity for remote sensing applications. A FieldSpec Pro radiospectrometer was employed to measure entire spectra (300-2,500 nm) of the solar radiation.
Atmosphere
The atmospheric state was measured using an automatic weather station (AWS) equipped with a sonic anemometer (Campbell CSAT3), a wind monitor (Young), a Vaisala HMP45 for humidity and temperature, a barometer, and snow temperature (10 levels + 5 very near-surface levels using small thermocouples).
We did a daily balloon launch at 1200AM using a Vaisala DigiCora ballooning system. Additional balloons were released when the atmospheric state was "interesting".
Information, contact, downloads
More information can be obtained from me by sending an email. See the Contact section. If you wish to make use of data, please do not hesitate to inquire.
During the experiment, we wrote down our adventures in a weblog supported by the Dutch TV channel VPRO (in Dutch).
A poster about this project can be downloaded:
