Measurements of Thermal Parameters in Antarctic Snow and Firn

Abstract

Values Of Effective thermal conductivities of snow and firn were obtained at Filchner Ice Shelf (Antarctica). We employed a transient line source method (a needle probe with a diameter of 1.6 mm) for conductivity determination, which allows quick measurements with high spatial resolution. Our data yield a linear relationship between effective thermal conductivity (lg keff) and density (p) of snowwhich implies a strong dependence of thermal conductivity on density for 0.24≤p≤0.42, Comparison of thermal conductivities and other snow pit data suggests that density alone is a poor measure of effective thermal conductivities of snow and firn. We propose that grain structure is probably the governing parameter in determining heat transport in the upper firn layers.