The snow cover is computed for the parts of the musk ox census area (all regions in the map in: GeoBasis_Zack_Snow_properties_Musk_Ox_census_area_Snow_cover.pdf) that is visible from the slope of Zackenberg where the automatic cameras are placed (almost the whole Musk ox area). Photos from three different camera positions are orthorectified and mosaicked together and the snow cover is computed based on these images. The dataset starts in 2008, but 2009 is missing, because there werent enough cloudfree days during the snow melting period. The three cameras used are:
Camera 1: Kodak CX 6200 RDC 365
Camera 2: HP Photosmart E427
Camera 3: Kodak CX 6200 RDC 365
The images are captured every day at 13:20, which is solar noon in the Zackenberg valley. Snow properties:Snow properties GeoBasis Zackenberg:The GeoBasis monitoring programme focuses on selected abiotic characteristics in order to describe the state of Greenlandic terrestrial environments and their potential feedback effects in a changing climate. Monitored plot data is up-scaled to a landscape level and is used to improve ecosystem models to be able to quantify these feedback mechanisms. The GeoBasis programme provides an active response to recommendations in international assessments such as ACIA and SWIPA; and is continuously being adapted based on AMAP and other international founded recommendations. Furthermore, the GeoBasis programme is directly involved in several international networks and research projects (e.g. the Circumpolar Active Layer Monitoring (CALM) programme, the Nordic Centre of Excellence DEFROST, the Danish Centre of Excellence CENPERM, the EU-projects PAGE21 and INTERACT, and the Arctic Research Centre at Aarhus University). The GeoBasis programme is divided into a number of sub-groups, including:
