Objective To identify and model the most important factors leading to mesoscale variability of the mass balance field on ice caps. A comprehensive study of the effect of topographic barriers on glacier mass balance and its sensitivity to climate change will be carried out by field measuements and modelling work. As targets have been selected Vatnaj-kull (Iceland) and the Antarctic Peninsula. The field work has two major components which are mass balance measurements (by stake measurements and snow pits on Vatnajvkull, the major ice cap on Iceland, characteristic length scale 100 km, and by snow-level sensors and shallow cores in the Antarctic Peninsula) and detailed meteorological measurements including the full energy balance programme. Albedo measurements of the ice cape from satellite (AVHRR, Landsat images) for a complete melt season will complete the programme. An attempt will be made to improve passive microwave satellite retrievals of annual accumulation rates by incorporating the output of snow models into the retrieval and by trying to develop a radiative transfer model for microwave radiation within the snow pack. Satellite data will be compared with point measurements from the ground stations and be used to validate albedo patterns generated by the mass balance model. An energy balance model will be constructed for the entire ice cap, calibrated with results from the field work to generate glacier mass balance and to study its sensitivity to climate change. The UK operational GCM will be used in limited area mode to investigate the effects of the topography on the Antarctic Peninsula on the distribution of precipitation and temperature. Model data will be verified against passive microwave brightness temperatures from SSM/I. Fields of science engineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringaerospace engineeringsatellite technologynatural sciencesphysical sciencesastronomyplanetary sciencesplanetary geologyengineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensorsnatural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesatmospheric sciencesclimatologyclimatic changes Programme(s) FP4-ENV 2C - Specific programme of research and technological development in the field of environment and climate, 1994-1998 Topic(s) 010101 - Basic processes of the climate system Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinator UTRECHT UNIVERSITY EU contribution No data Address 5,Princetonplein 5 3584 CC UTRECHT Netherlands See on map Total cost No data Participants (3) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all LEOPOLD-FRANZENS-UNIVERSITAET INNSBRUCK Austria EU contribution No data Address 52,Innrain 52 6020 INNSBRUCK See on map Total cost No data NATURAL ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH COUNCIL United Kingdom EU contribution No data Address Madingley Road, High Cross CB3 0ET CAMBRIDGE See on map Total cost No data University of Iceland Iceland EU contribution No data Address 5,Dunhagi 0107 Reykjavik See on map Total cost No data