Scienceability of Greenland Weather Stations

Data indicates whether a given day between July 6, 1996 and May 19, 2019 was "scienceable" (temperature, wind speed, snowfall, and sunlight hours met the criteria determined for safe fieldwork conditions). This data was used in Leidman et al., 2020, Methods for Predicting the Likelihood of Safe Fieldwork Conditions in Harsh Environments, submitted to Frontiers in Cryospheric Research

River discharge at station AK-004-001, 2008 - 2016, version 3.0

The dataset contains measurements of river stage and discharge for one sites along the Akuliarusiarsuup Kuua River's northern tributary, with 30 minute temporal resolution between June 2008 and December 2016. This river is a tributary to the Watson River discharging into Kangerlussuaq Fjord by the town of Kangerlussuaq, Southwest Greenland. Additional data of water temperature is also provided

(Table A1) Optical attenuation coefficients of glacier ice layer B (53-124 cm ice depth) from 350-600 nm (West Greenland)

Formal estimates of attenuation coefficient for Layer A, interpolated to 1 nm resolution using a convolution (Savitsky-Golay) filter, and reported for the useable range of values, as described in the article

(Table A2) Optical attenuation coefficients of glacier ice layer A (12-77 cm ice depth) from 350-700 nm (West Greenland)

Formal estimates of attenuation coefficient for Layer A, interpolated to 1 nm resolution using a convolution (Savitsky-Golay) filter, and reported for the useable range of values, as described in the article

Methods for Predicting the Likelihood of Safe Fieldwork Conditions in Harsh Environments

Every year, numerous field teams travel to remote field locations on the Greenland ice sheet to carry out polar research, geologic exploration, and other commercial, military, strategic, and recreational activities. In this region, extreme weather can lead to decreased productivity, equipment failure, increased stress, unexpected logistical challenges, and, in the worst cases, a risk of physical injury and loss of life. Here we describe methods for calculating the probability of a “scienceable” day defined as a day when wind, temperature, snowfall, and sunlight conditions are conducive to sustained outdoor activity. Scienceable days have been calculated for six sites on the ice sheet of southern Greenland using meteorological station data between 1996-2016, and compared with indices of large scale atmospheric circulation patterns: the Greenland Blocking Index (GBI) and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Our findings show that the probability of a scienceable day between 2010 and 2016 in the Greenland Ice Sheet.'s accumulation zone was 46 ± 17% in March-May and 86 ± 11% in July-August on average. Decreases in scienceability due to lower temperatures at higher elevations are made up for by weaker katabatic winds, especially in the shoulder seasons. We also find a strong correlation between the probability of a scienceable day and GBI (R = 0.88, p < 0.001) resulting in a significant decrease in April scienceability since 1996. The methodology presented can help inform expedition planning, the setting of realistic field goals and managing expectations, and aid with accurate risk assessment in Greenland and other harsh, remote environments

(Table A3) Raw irradiance values of glacier ice layer B (53-124 cm depth) from 350-900 nm (West Greenland)

This dataset contains the raw irradiance values that can be used to compute transmittance and attenuation coefficient, and are not interpolated or filtered, so the user can decide how to use the data

(Table A3) Raw irradiance values of glacier ice layer A (12-77 cm depth) from 350-900 nm (West Greenland)

This dataset contains the raw irradiance values that can be used to compute transmittance and attenuation coefficient, and are not interpolated or filtered, so the user can decide how to use the data

Optical attenuation coefficients of glacier ice from 350-700 nm and raw irradiance values from 350-900 nm

Optical attenuation coefficients of glacier ice from 350-700 nm were estimated from in-ice solar irradiance measured over the spectral range 350-900 nm and 12-124 cm depth collected at a site in the western Greenland ablation zone (67.15 oN, 50.02 oW). The acquired spectral irradiance measurements are used to calculate irradiance (flux) attenuation coefficients using an exponential decay Bouguer law model. Spectral absorption coefficients are estimated using the method of Warren et. al. (2006), which relates the attenuation coefficient to the absorption coefficient in the visible spectrum. The attenuation coefficients are calculated with linear regression between ice thickness in units of solid ice equivalent referenced to 917 kg/m3 and co-located transmittance. Solid ice equivalent thickness is calculated from in-situ ice density measured in the field on an ice core extracted from the measurement location. The ice density was 699 kg/m3 from 0-8 cm depth, 801 kg/m3 from 4-45 cm , 883 kg/m3 from 45-74 cm, and 888 kg/m3 from 74-122 cm. The depth-weighted ice density in the regions where attenuation was measured was 835 kg/m3 (12-77 cm) and 855 kg/m3 (53-124 cm). The field measurements were completed between 13:45 and 14:35 local time (UTC -3), at solar zenith angles of ~48–51o. Solar noon at this time and location is ~13:26