strm_snowpatch English utf8 dataset McMurdo Dry Valleys LTER Information Manager im@mcmlter.org pointOfContact 2023-10-12 ISO 19115-2 Geographic Information - North American Profile Metadata - Data with Biological Extensions ISO 19115-2:2009(E) Physical and chemical characteristics of stream-associated snow patches in Fryxell Basin, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica during the 2021-2022 austral summer 2023-10-12 publication Anna Wright University of Colorado Boulder http://www.colorado.edu/ anna.t.wright@colorado.edu pointOfContact Michael Gooseff University of Colorado Boulder http://www.colorado.edu/ michael.gooseff@colorado.edu http://goosefflab.weebly.com pointOfContact Kathleen Welch University of Colorado Boulder http://www.colorado.edu/ kathleen.welch@colorado.edu pointOfContact documentDigital Snow patches within and adjacent to stream channels in the Fryxell Basin of Taylor Valley, Antarctica were sampled during the 2021-2022 austral summer as part of the McMurdo Dry Valleys Long Term Ecological Research program. This data package includes snow pit measurements (snow temperature, depth, density, and water equivalent) as well as chemical characteristics of snow samples that were analyzed for nutrient, cation, and anion concentrations. Name: Abigail C. Jackson Role: field crew Name: Mia Vanderwilt Role: field crew Name: Renée F. Brown Role: data manager completed McMurdo Dry Valleys LTER Information Manager im@mcmlter.org pointOfContact unknown This work was supported by the US National Science Foundation grants #OPP-1637708 and #OPP-2224760 for Long Term Ecological Research. inorganic nutrients theme LTER Core Areas English This is the Taylor Valley, a subjectively approximated contour by San Gil. We use this to denote the geographical extent of studies that encompass the whole Taylor Valley. According to Wiki contributors, the Taylor Valley is the southernmost of the three large Dry Valleys in the Transantarctic Mountains, Victoria Land, located west of McMurdo Sound. The valley extends from Taylor Glacier in the west to McMurdo Sound at Explorers Cove at the northwest head of New Harbour in the east and is about 29 kilometres (18 mi) long. It was once occupied by the receding Taylor Glacier, from which it derives its name. Taylor Valley contains Lake Bonney in the west (inward), and Lake Fryxell in the east (coastward), and Lake Hoare, Lake Chad, Mummy Pond and Parera Pond close together between the two. Further east of Lake Bonney is Pearse Valley. Taylor Valley is separated from Wright Valley in the north by Asgard Range, and from Ferrar Glacier in the south by Kukri Hills. 163.624877929690 161.707763671880 -77.808487073526 -77.519802097166 ground condition 2021-11-23 2021-12-23 https://mcm.lternet.edu/sites/default/files/data/mcmlter-strm-snowpatch-20231020_0.csv snowpatch eng; US McMurdo Dry Valleys LTER snowpatch Number of Header Lines : 1 Orientation : Column Field Delimiter : , false dataset_code Internal dataset code. sample_id Unique sample identifier. stream_name Name of the stream where the sample was collected. date_sampled Date sample was collected. Date Time Format: YYYY-MM-DD stream_flow Was the stream flowing at the time of sample collection? patch_location Location of the snow patch in relation to the stream, i.e., in the stream channel, adjacent to the stream, or on the eastern or western side of the stream channel. patch_number Patch identifier. replicate Patch replicate identifier. latitude Latitude of sample in decimal degrees. longitude Longitude of sample in decimal degrees. snow_depth_cm Depth of snow pit. snow_temp_c Temperature of the snow pit. snow_weight_g Weight of the snow sample. Measured in the field. top_snow_weight_g Weight of the top layer of the snow sample if different than the bottom layer. Measured in the field. cutter_volume_cm3 Volume of the snow cutter used for calculating the snow water equivalent (SWE) of the sample. snow_density_g_cm3 Snow density, calculated from measured snow weight and cutter volume. swe_cm Snow water equivalent (SWE), calculated from snow density and snow depth. br_mg_l Bromine concentration of the sample. ca_mg_l Calcium concentration of the sample. cl_mg_l Chloride concentration of the sample. f_mg_l Fluorine concentration of the sample. k_mg_l Potassium concentration of the sample. li_mg_l Lithium concentration of the sample. mg_mg_l Magnesium concentration of the sample. na_mg_l Sodium concentration of the sample. so4_mg_l Sulfate concentration of the sample. nh4_mg_l Ammonium concentration of the sample in milligrams per liter. nh4_um Ammonium concentration of the sample in micromoles. no2_mg_l Nitrite concentration of the sample. no3_mg_l Nitrate concentration of the sample, calculated by subtracting NO2 from Net N. netn_mg_l Net nitrogen concentration of the sample. srp_mg_l Soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) concentration of the sample in milligrams per liter. srp_um Soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) concentration of the sample in micromoles. sampling_remarks Remarks about field sampling. analysis_remarks Remarks about lab analysis. DBF https://mcm.lternet.edu/sites/default/files/data/mcmlter-strm-snowpatch-20231020_0.csv dataset Measurements for snow pits dug across Taylor Valley were obtained for this dataset during November and December of the 2021-2022 field season. Snow patches were specifically sampled early in the year before the streams had started to flow. Snow pits were dug both within stream channels and adjacent to stream channels for 10 streams across Lake Fryxell Basin and Commonwealth Stream in Taylor Valley. Snow depth of each pit was recorded and snow density was measured using a snow cutter of known volume and a spring scale. Snow density and snow depth was then used to calculate snow water equivalent (SWE) of each snow patch sampled. Snow samples for each pit were also collected using a snow core device. The snow samples were put in a whirlpack bag and transported back to the field laboratory at F6 camp. At F6, samples were melted and filtered for nutrient, cation, and anion analysis. Because not all samples had enough water for all analysis, nutrient analysis was prioritized and anions/cations were not able to be run for every sample. For anions and cations, 50 mls (for each) of the melted snow water was filtered through a Nucleopore (0.4 µm) filter. The filtrate was saved and stored at +4 °C for future analysis. For nutrients, 100 ml of raw melted snow sample was filtered through an ashed GF/C filter. The filtrate was saved and frozen at -20 °C for future analysis. All analysis was run by the MCM LTER at the Crary Laboratory at McMurdo Station or at the University of Colorado Boulder, in the same way that stream water samples are rum as part of the long-term sample collection for the MCM LTER. Anions and cations were run in the Crary Laboratory at McMurdo Station between 2021-12-03 and 2022-01-14 with a dilution factor of 1. Nutrients (N & SRP) were run at the University of Colorado Boulder on 2022-06-07. Metadata Access Constraints: none Metadata Use Constraints: none annually McMurdo Dry Valleys LTER http://mcmlter.org/ pointOfContact