Karl C. Kuivinen

Inter-comparison of Ice Core δ(18O) and Precipitation Records from Sites in Canada and Greenland over the last 3500 years and over the last few Centuries in detail using EOF Techniques.

Oxygen -18 records for the Polar sites in Canada and Greenland are compared over the last 3500 years on a 50 yr average basis. The common spatial covariance is found using EOF (Empirical Orthogonal Functions) techniques that identify two main spatial modes that occur with nearly the same frequency. Together these two Eigenvectors explain 50% of the variance in the detrended O-18 records.

Simulation of summer snowmelt on the Greenland ice sheet using a one‐dimensional model

A one-dimensional heat and mass balance model of a snowpack over frozen soil was modified for use in glacial environments. The model solves a set of governing equations for the energy and mass balances of the snow, subject to observed meteorological conditions at the upper boundary and the assumption of a steady state at the lower boundary. The initial state of the snowpack is defined by the temperature, density and grain size profiles at the beginning of the simulation period. The data used to test the model on the Greenland ice sheet are a subset of the meteorological and surface data collected during the 1990 summer field season by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Greenland Expedition. The site was located near the equilibrium line elevation on the west slope of the ice sheet. The relatively large amount of snowmelt experienced at this site during the summer of 1990 provides a robust test of the snowmelt model. Both the simulated height and mass of the snowpack agree well with the observations. The evolution of profiles of temperature, density and liquid water content also conform to our expectations of the physical changes taking place in the snowpack during melt. Results from the present model are also compared to those from a similar model and differences between the models are discussed.

Polar Field Tent Shelters and Well-Being of Users

Polar research teams often spend extended periods of time away from base stations, living and working in remote field camps of portable tent shelters. This article reports on a study of the design and use of portable field tent shelters being deployed in Antarctica and other circumpolar areas. The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of the shelters on health and well-being of their users from an environment-behavior perspective. Preliminary analysis indicates that although the design and use of field tent shelters were generally satisfactory, there are areas in which the shelters had some adverse bearing on health and well-being of a considerable number of shelter users. This article concludes with suggestions that can be used for future design and manufacture of portable field tent shelters.

A critical review of design and use of field tent shelters in polar regions

Polar research teams often spend extended periods of time away from base stations, living and working in remote field camps of portable tents. This article reports results of a survey study conducted in 1996 of polar researchers from the United States. The study was about the design and use of portable field tents being deployed in polar areas with regard to safety, health, and well-being from the users perspective. Preliminary analysis indicates that there existed a number of areas in design and use of the shelters that contributed to concerns of safety, health, and well-being among a considerable number of tent users. The article concludes with suggestions for designing and manufacturing portable field tents.

Analysis of the climatic signal in the South Dome, Greenland ice core

The purpose of this research was to investigate the statistical relationship between an oxygen isotope chronology from southern Greenland and climatic variables recorded at a coastal village. The response of the oxygen isotope time series to monthly temperature and precipitation data was calculated using a combination of principal components factor analysis and multiple regression analysis. Orthogonal eigenvectors extracted from 35 yr of climatic data reliably explained 59% of the temporal variance in mean annual oxygen isotope values. The response functions demonstrate an apparent seasonal reversal in the relationship between oxygen isotope values and temperature, with the response varying between a positive (direct) relationship in winter, spring, and autumn, and a negative (indirect) relationship in summer. The results, and their implications, are shown to be useful in the historical climatic reconstruction of the South Greenland region.

The Greenland Ice Sheet Program: 1975 field activities

The Greenland Ice Sheet Program (GISP) in August 1975 completed its fourth successful field programme since its beginning in 1971. The GISP research is aimed at the investigation of glaciological, geophysical, geochemical and palaeo-climatological parameters of the Greenland ice sheet and at the interpretation of these factors in terms of climatic significance for the present and for the future.