Author: Anton Neureiter, ZAMG

Kleinfleißkees and Goldbergkees got 25 % more snow than in an average winter. For determination of snow depth, 560 measurements with snow probes were carried out. Additionally eight snow pits were dug for density and temperature measurements of the snowpack. The mean snow depth for Goldbergkees is 460 cm and for Kleinfleißkees it is 390 cm. Referring to density and snow depth measurements, the winter mass balance of Goldbergkees is 2080 mm w.e. a^-1, that’s 22 % above average and for Kleinfleißkees it is 1760 mm w.e. a^-1. That is 25 % more than in an average winter.
The summers are crucial for Austria’s glaciers. The extremely warm April has compensated the above-average snow cover. For early June, the snow depths are even below the average. For long-term development of glaciers in Austria, the weather conditions in summer are more important than in winter. Occasional occurred cold surges in summer brings snow cover on glaciers. Because a fresh, very with snow cover reflects almost all solar radiation. This can protect a glacier up to a week before melting. However, a glacier without fresh snow cover is much darker, therefore absorbs a lot of solar radiation an can lose up to 10 cm of ice thickness in one day.

In cooperation with foto-webcam.eu, University of Graz, Großglockner Hochalpenstraße AG and TGM, a glaciological station network was established. In total 5 cameras, one automatic weather station (EMBS PAS) and one mass balance station (MBS PAS) are in operation. The locations of the cameras are Freiwandeck (FWE), Fuscherkarkopf (FKK), kleiner Burgstall with two cameras (BUR) and (PAS) and Großglockner (GLO). This is by the way the highest situated camera in Austria with an altitude of 3750 m a.s.l.. On the glacier surface there is a automatic weather station situated on the glacier tongue and a mass balance station in the upper part of the glacier.

Less mass of snow, but average snow depth. Due to snowfall events in April, the relative fresh snow was not packed than normal in May. Therefore, snow depth is on average but the snow density is lower. This results in 1570 mm w.e. a^-1 for Goldbergkees and 1210 mm w.e a^-1 for Kleinfleißkees or 10 % less masses of snow for the winter 2016/17 than on average.
The snowpackmodel SNOWGRID from ZAMG shows that the average snowpack of Sonnblick glaciers are not representative for major areas of Austria. The meteorological winter (December, January and February) was very dry and the precipitation in April was rain up to low mountain range due to warm weather conditions. As a result, the cumulated sums of fresh snow for major parts of Austria were well below average for the hydrological winter (October 2016 – April 2017).

The camera is located on the ridge between the alpine hut Rojacherhütte and the summit of Hohen Sonnblick at 2932 m a.s.l.. The direction of view is southeast with skiing area Mölltaler Gletscher far left on the image, the Goldbergkees in the centre and the mountain pass Iselsberg rightmost. The camera was installed 2^nd August 2016. The engaged camera is a Canon EOS1200D. For power supply, a solar panel is used and the power is stored in a accumulator. The glaciological station network Sonnblick contains beside webcam Goldbergkees also webcam Kleinfleißkees, webcam Sonnblick Observatorium, automatic weather station Kleinfleißkees, mass balance station Goldbergkees and gauging station Huettwinklache.

After a pleasant winter with 5 % more snow accumulation than average, the second warmest summer in history of temperature measurements and the driest summer since 1911 in Austria, melting rates were near record level from 2003. At the glacier terminus of Pasterze, the thickness of ice decreases up to 10 m, between autumn 2014 and autumn 2015. Overall, the annual mass balance for Pasterze is -1.4 m w.e. a^-1. For the glaciers at Hoher Sonnblick, the annual mass balance for Kleinfleißkees is -1.4 m w.e. a^-1 and for Goldbergkees -1.9 m w.e. a^-1.

This camera is funded by Großglockern Hochalpenstraße AG. The camera is located at Freiwandeck (2755 m a.s.l.). The direction of view is west to Großglockner and Pasterze with alpine hut Erzherzog-Johann-Hütte leftmost and alpine hut Oberwalderhütte rightmost. The camera was mounted 5^th October 2015. The engaged camera is a Canon EOS1200D. For power supply, a solar panel is used and the power is stored in a accumulator.

Due to more than 700 measurements of snow depth and 9 snow pits, where density and temperature of the snowpack was measured, the winter mass balance for Goldbergkees and Kleinfleißkees is 5 % above the average. Particularly for Goldbergkees a mean snow depth of 450 cm (1800 mm w.e.) and for Kleinfleißkees 390 cm (1400 mm w.e.).

The camera is situated on a ridge between the mountains Goldberspitze and Roten Mann at 2970 m a.s.l.. The direction of view is northeast with Goldbergspitze at the far right. In the center of the image is Kleinfleißkees with Hohen Sonnblick. Leftmost on the image is the mountain Arlthöhe. The camera was mounted 17^th July 2014 and so the first webcam in operation for our automatic glacier measurement system. The engaged camera is a Canon EOS1100D. For power supply a solar panel is used and the power is stored in a accumulator.