Continuous monitoring of spectral reflectance of snowed surfaces in Ny-Ålesund

Polar areas are the most sensitive targets of climate change. From this perspective, the continuous monitoring of the cryosphere represents a critical issue, which, at the moment, we can only partially supply with specific satellite missions. Furthermore, the integration between remote-sensed multi-spectral images and field data is crucial to validate retrieval algorithms. The microphysical characteristics of the snow surface and the presence of liquid water in the first layer of the snowpack can be determined in addition to the spatial distribution of snow/ice covers. The aim of this work is to present the field activity carried out in Ny-A° lesund (Svalbard Islands, Norway), where an unmanned apparatus was installed to provide continuous spectral surface albedo. A full-range approach was adopted during the 2014 spring/summer period at the CNR Climate Change Tower. This setup was obtained using a spectroradiometer with a spectral range between 350 and 2500 nm integrated with a remote cosine receiver, characterized by a field of view of about 180, mounted on a rotating support. The system was integrated with a camera aimed to acquire sky and ground images. The first results assessed the feasibility of continuous monitoring the spectral variations of snowed surfaces during the melting period. This study represents a first attempt to associate snow metamorphism to spectral variations and it supports the identification of relevant correlations with meteorological parameters.