Estimation of snow cover melting characteristics from Vernadsky weather station data (Antarctica)

In Antarctica, snowmelt processes determine the volume and mass of ice sheets and ice shelves.The tempo, extent, and duration of surface snowmelt are increasing under climate change.Thus, investigating snowmelt characteristics is an important way to better understand the state of ice sheets and ice shelves.However, previous to this study, Vernadsky weather station data had not been applied to research on snowmelt processes.The most common approaches to determining the amount of snow melting are the heat balance method, calculation via the melting coefficient, or via the water balance of the snow cover.The application of such approaches to the conditions of Antarctica has its own specific features, related to the geographical location and the availability of the necessary observation data.At the Vernadsky weather station, observations of snow cover characteristics and solar radiation elements have gaps.This article reports the characteristics of snow cover melting based on observations of snow depth and air temperature (at 2 m height) for the Vernadsky weather station data for the period 1997-2025.During 1997-2025 at the Vernadsky Station, the observed snow accumulation season was from March to December, and the snowmelt season lasted from December to February.The multi-annual mean date of maximum snow depth is October 31 (±6 days), and the multi-annual mean maximum snow depth is 211 (±9) cm.The duration of snowmelt ranged from 50 to 117 days, with a multi-annual mean of 78 (±3) days.The amount of snow melting ranged from 108 to 287 cm; the multi-annual mean was 162 (±8) cm.The mean intensity of snowmelt ranged from 0.96 to 3.26 cm/day, in water equivalent approximately 3.45 to 11.7 mm/day, with a multiannual mean of 7.68 (±0.36) mm/day.