AFI 04/09_02 - Improving ice-core interpretation - Analysis of Snow/Ice cores collected from Rothschild, Latady & Smyley Islands, 2006

The project was concerned with understanding how air mass origin and meteorology affect the mass accumulation of snow in areas of the Antarctic Peninsula, and how the atmosphere''s properties are preserved in the snow. Ground truth measurements in the form of snow/ice cores were obtained in 2006 at three sites, Rothschild Island, Latady Island and Smyley Island, where Automatic Weather Stations had been deployed in the previous season. At both the Rothschild Island and Smyley Island sites the AWS, due to an unprecedented amount of snowfall, had been buried therefore two cores, 8m and 12m in length, were obtained from the approximate position of the AWS, in addition to the sampling of a snow pit. At the Latady Island site the top 60cm of the 5m AWS was protruding above the surface, again, due to an unprecedented amount of snowfall. A diagonally descending trench was dug to recover the AWS and two cores were collected at this site. Photographs of the expedition showing
the ground layout, the situation of the cores and what was done when they were gathered are available and stored with the data.