<p>Referat</p><p><strong>Klimatologisk studie av cyklonbanor över Europa med koppling till snöförhållanden i norra Sverige</strong></p><p><em>Jakob Inghammar</em></p><p>Under de senaste decennierna har temperaturen i atmosfären ökat. En sannolik effekt av detta är en förändring av förekomst och styrka för de utomtropiska cyklonerna. Deras uppträdande spelar en betydande roll för väder och klimat över de områden där de förekommer, därför är det relevant att undersöka om samvariationer för dem existerar med till exempel snöförhållanden och temperaturer. För att utforska detta har lågtryck över norra Atlanten och Europa identifierats ur återanalysdata (ERA-40) under månaderna oktober-mars för åren 1960-1999.</p><p>Denna studie visar på en signifikant ökning av lågtrycksförekomst norr om 60°N och ett signifikant avtagande söder om 60°N. För lågtryckens styrka påvisas en signifikant positiv trend för båda dessa områden. Vid en analys för var och en av månaderna oktober-mars visas att det är under framförallt månaderna januari och februari som lågtrycken med tiden förflyttats norrut och att ingen sådan trend finns för oktober och november. Mellan årens högsta uppmätta snödjup i norra Sverige och lågtrycksfrekvensen kring norra Skandinavien finns en positiv korrelation. För medeltemperaturen på norra halvklotet och över vilka breddgrader cykloner mestadels rör sig under december-mars finns en samvariation, vid varmare förhållanden förflyttas cyklonbanorna norrut. En positiv korrelation finns mellan antal lågtryck norr om 60°N och temperaturen i Abisko.</p><p>För vintrar, som i Abisko hade vitt skilda snöförhållanden, märks en avvikelse för vilka månader som lågtrycksfrekvensen kring norra Skandinavien var hög. Då snötäcket innehöll många isiga lager var lågtrycksfrekvensen hög i början och i slutet av vintern medan den var låg för månaderna i mitten. Det omvända skedde då snötäcket istället var ovanligt poröst.</p><p>En stark samvariation finns mellan den nordatlantiska oscillationen (NAO) och lågtrycksfrekvens i de olika delarna norr och söder om 60°N av det undersökta området. Vid höga NAO-index ökar frekvensen i det norra området medan det minskar i det södra. Vid låga NAO-index sker det omvända.</p><p> </p><p><strong><em>Nyckelord:</em></strong><em> cykloner, lågtryck, återanalysdata, ERA-40, snö, Abisko</em></p><p> </p> / <p>Abstract</p><p><strong>Climatologic study of cyclone tracks over Europe and linkage to snow conditions in northern Sweden</strong></p><p><em>Jakob Inghammar</em></p><p>In the last decades the temperature in the atmosphere has been increasing. One plausible effect of this is a change in frequency and intensity of the extratropical cyclones.<strong> </strong>The appearance of the extratropical cyclones is crucial for the weather conditions and climate at the latitudes where they exist. Hence it is relevant to examine if the frequency of them are related to snow conditions and temperatures. This has been investigated over the north part of the Atlantic Ocean and Europe through detection of local minima in reanalysis data (ERA 40) regarding the sea level pressure for the months October-Mars for the years 1960-1999.</p><p>The result for cyclone frequency display a significant increase in the region north of 60°N and at the same time a significant decrease in the region south of 60°N. In both regions there is a significant increase for the cyclone intensity. This trend with shifting cyclone tracks to the north is most pronounced for the months January and February while no trend can be seen for the months October and November. The maximum snow depth in the northern part of Sweden every year and the frequency of cyclones around northern Scandinavia are positively correlated. The mean temperature of the northern hemisphere and at which latitudes the cyclone tracks mostly exist during December-Mars co-varies. For the same months a positive correlation exists for the number of cyclones in the region north of 60°N and the mean temperature in Abisko.</p><p>Different winters in Abisko with very diverse snow conditions also experienced diverseness concerning cyclone frequency around northern Scandinavia. During the winters when the snow cover was holding many icy layers; the frequency was high in the beginning and in the end of the winter seasons while the cyclone frequency was low in the middle. When the snow cover instead was very porous, the cyclone frequency occurs in the opposite way.</p><p>A strong covariance exists between the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the number of cyclones in each region north and south of 60°N of the examined area. When the NAO-index is positive the frequency of cyclones is elevated in the north region and at the same time reduced in the south region, when the NAO-index is negative the opposite occur.</p><p><em> </em></p><p><strong><em>Keywords:</em></strong><em> cyclones, reanalysis data, ERA-40, snow, Abisko</em></p><p> </p>

Referat Klimatologisk studie av cyklonbanor över Europa med koppling till snöförhållanden i norra Sverige Jakob Inghammar Under de senaste decennierna har temperaturen i atmosfären ökat. En sannolik effekt av detta är en förändring av förekomst och styrka för de utomtropiska cyklonerna. Deras uppträdande spelar en betydande roll för väder och klimat över de områden där de förekommer, därför är det relevant att undersöka om samvariationer för dem existerar med till exempel snöförhållanden och temperaturer. För att utforska detta har lågtryck över norra Atlanten och Europa identifierats ur återanalysdata (ERA-40) under månaderna oktober-mars för åren 1960-1999. Denna studie visar på en signifikant ökning av lågtrycksförekomst norr om 60°N och ett signifikant avtagande söder om 60°N. För lågtryckens styrka påvisas en signifikant positiv trend för båda dessa områden. Vid en analys för var och en av månaderna oktober-mars visas att det är under framförallt månaderna januari och februari som lågtrycken med tiden förflyttats norrut och att ingen sådan trend finns för oktober och november. Mellan årens högsta uppmätta snödjup i norra Sverige och lågtrycksfrekvensen kring norra Skandinavien finns en positiv korrelation. För medeltemperaturen på norra halvklotet och över vilka breddgrader cykloner mestadels rör sig under december-mars finns en samvariation, vid varmare förhållanden förflyttas cyklonbanorna norrut. En positiv korrelation finns mellan antal lågtryck norr om 60°N och temperaturen i Abisko. För vintrar, som i Abisko hade vitt skilda snöförhållanden, märks en avvikelse för vilka månader som lågtrycksfrekvensen kring norra Skandinavien var hög. Då snötäcket innehöll många isiga lager var lågtrycksfrekvensen hög i början och i slutet av vintern medan den var låg för månaderna i mitten. Det omvända skedde då snötäcket istället var ovanligt poröst. En stark samvariation finns mellan den nordatlantiska oscillationen (NAO) och lågtrycksfrekvens i de olika delarna norr och söder om 60°N av det undersökta området. Vid höga NAO-index ökar frekvensen i det norra området medan det minskar i det södra. Vid låga NAO-index sker det omvända.   Nyckelord: cykloner, lågtryck, återanalysdata, ERA-40, snö, Abisko / Abstract Climatologic study of cyclone tracks over Europe and linkage to snow conditions in northern Sweden Jakob Inghammar In the last decades the temperature in the atmosphere has been increasing. One plausible effect of this is a change in frequency and intensity of the extratropical cyclones. The appearance of the extratropical cyclones is crucial for the weather conditions and climate at the latitudes where they exist. Hence it is relevant to examine if the frequency of them are related to snow conditions and temperatures. This has been investigated over the north part of the Atlantic Ocean and Europe through detection of local minima in reanalysis data (ERA 40) regarding the sea level pressure for the months October-Mars for the years 1960-1999. The result for cyclone frequency display a significant increase in the region north of 60°N and at the same time a significant decrease in the region south of 60°N. In both regions there is a significant increase for the cyclone intensity. This trend with shifting cyclone tracks to the north is most pronounced for the months January and February while no trend can be seen for the months October and November. The maximum snow depth in the northern part of Sweden every year and the frequency of cyclones around northern Scandinavia are positively correlated. The mean temperature of the northern hemisphere and at which latitudes the cyclone tracks mostly exist during December-Mars co-varies. For the same months a positive correlation exists for the number of cyclones in the region north of 60°N and the mean temperature in Abisko. Different winters in Abisko with very diverse snow conditions also experienced diverseness concerning cyclone frequency around northern Scandinavia. During the winters when the snow cover was holding many icy layers; the frequency was high in the beginning and in the end of the winter seasons while the cyclone frequency was low in the middle. When the snow cover instead was very porous, the cyclone frequency occurs in the opposite way. A strong covariance exists between the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the number of cyclones in each region north and south of 60°N of the examined area. When the NAO-index is positive the frequency of cyclones is elevated in the north region and at the same time reduced in the south region, when the NAO-index is negative the opposite occur. Keywords: cyclones, reanalysis data, ERA-40, snow, Abisko

Arctic ecosystems are amongst the most vulnerable on Earth to ongoing climate change. While the responses to these changes are well studied on land, less is known about how aquatic communities may respond to a warmer arctic. For stream invertebrate communities, predicting such responses requires basic understanding of how and why different taxonomic groups fluctuate throughout the year. However, few studies have assessed the community dynamics of stream macroinvertebrates across seasons in the Arctic. In this project, I asked how macroinvertebrate community structure changes between months and across seasons in a small Arctic stream in northern Sweden. I expected that community change over time would reflect changes in the supply of organic matter (e.g., leaf litter and algae) to dominant consumers. A total of five transects were sampled for macroinvertebrates each month from July to April using Surber sampling. I used descriptive and multivariate analyses to evaluate changes in community structure between months and seasons. Marked differences in community composition were found between the seasons with detritivores (shredders) dominating the autumn months possibly reflecting input of birch litter and high abundances of grazers during and post winter, possibly reflecting primary production early in spring. Expected climate change effects in the Arctic include warmer temperatures and increases in the terrestrial plant productivity. My results suggest that these shifts could cause changes in stream community composition, driven by increases in deciduous litter inputs that promote shredders and/or by increases in primary production during spring that favour grazers and collector-gatherers, which feed on algae.

The Arctic region appears as a pristine remote environment, yet there is increasing evidence that it is greatly impacted by pollution such as lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg). In this environment deposition of Hg has increased threefold since the last industrial revolution. In this study five cryosolic soil profiles within non-sorted circles (NSC) in the Abisko region, northwest of Sweden, has been analyzed to improve our understanding regarding how pollutants are distributed within such type of soil. The soil samples have been analyzed with the use of X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF), for the measurements of the total concentrations of e.g. lead (Pb) and zirconium (Zr). The soil samples were also analyzed for Hg and LOI. In each sample Zr was used to determine whether metal concentrations were naturally derived from soil silicate minerals or from non-silicate (anthropogenic) sources. From the inner domains of the circles towards the outer domains where the latter contained the highest amounts of organic matter that bind these metals the Pb and Hg concentrations increased. The highest concentrations of Pb (47 mg/kg) and Hg (359 µg/kg) are found in the surface layer (about7 cmdeep) at the edges of the circles. In a buried layer (O-horizon) found in the inner domain, the concentration of Hg was 60µg/kg. Within the studied NSC the concentrations anthropogenic derived Pb and Hg in the surface layer of the circles outer domain was estimated to constitute 95 - 100 % of the total metal burden. In the buried organic layer 95 % of Hg was estimated to be anthropogenic. Clearly, the soil was strongly affected by anthropogenic Pb and Hg concentration.

The scope of this thesis is to show how the use of maps in political and scientific arguments functions as a mediator between ideological discourse and the physical landscape. This is done by studying three maps displaying the same geographical region but from different times and with different motifs. The maps were studied by operationalizing the French Sociologist Bruno Latour’s concept of immu-table mobiles into a methodological toolset.The thesis shows that the cartographic tradition of the Swedish state throughout the 20th century func-tioned as an immutable mobile that ideological actors could use to form political or scientific argu-ments. An almost trivial point to make. However, the problem is the great distance between state and the place, which in this case is about 1400 kilometers. Thus, the map allows a remote power relation-ship. As the state-owned immutable mobiles were extracted, they were interpreted by the politicians and scientists ideological perspectives. The ideological interpretations were then used in government propositions and reports and thus resulted in actual political decisions that affected the physical land-scape.The creation of Abisko National Park is one example of how this process can look. The park was instigated with a specific set of political goals to be achieved. The political and scientific actors used the immutable mobile that is the map and formed a proposition with it. The act of instigating and upholding the Abisko Valley as a national park is thus a manifestation of both state presence, its supremacy over territory as well as its contemporary ideological context. Moreover, it would be im-possible to instigate a park without the use of maps to define its borders. The planning and ratification of Transnational Road 98 can be seen as another example of the same thing, but with a different contemporary ideology as background.The thesis results in an explanation about what the maps role is in a stately place making process. Additionally the thesis shows what happens over time as different ideological embodiments in the landscape conflict with each other because of their different visions of how the landscape should be used and by whom. / Uppsatsens syfte är att försöka hur kartor fungerar som en länk mellan politisk diskurs och det fysiska landskapet. Detta görs genom att studera tre kartor som avbildar samma område men vid olika tidpunkter och med olika motiv. Kartorna studeras genom en operationalisering av den franske sociologen Bruno Latour’s teori om ’immutable mobiles’.Uppsatsen visar att den statliga kartografiska verksamheten under 1900-talet i Sverige producerade immutable mobiles som sedan kunde avläsas av aktörer och som i sin tur kunde använda dem för att understödja deras politiska och vetenskapliga argument. En tillsynes trivial poäng. Problemet är dock avståndet i mellan den centraliserade makten och platsen som i detta fallet är ca 1400 kilometer. Kartorna möjliggör alltså en maktrelation trots det stora avståndet. Allt eftersom de statligt ägda kartorna var hämtade, tolkades de av aktörernas ideologiska perspektiv. Dessa tolkningar låg sedan till grund för politiska beslut som sedan resulterade i faktiska ingrepp i landskapet.Formerandet av Abisko nationalpark används i uppsatsen som ett exempel på hur denna process fungerar. Parken skapades med ett specifikt set av ideologiska motiv. De politiska aktörerna använde statliga kartor för att utforma sin proposition. Formerandet av parken är således en manifestation av både statlig närvaro, statlig kontroll över landskapet och ett ideologiskt artefakt. Det vore därtill omöjligt att skapa parken utan en karta för att definiera dess gränser. Planerandet och konstruerandet av mellanriksväg 98 mellan Kiruna och Narvik har analyserats på ett liknande sätt, dock med en annan ideologisk bakgrund.Uppsatsen resulterar i en möjlig förklaring till vad kartorna har för roll i en statlig platsskapande och landskapsförändrande process. Vidare så försöker uppsatsen förklara hur olika ideologiska tolkningar av landskapet kan hamna i konflikt med varandra över tid på grund av inkompatibla ideologiska motiv.

Waterborne carbon (C) forms an active and significant part of the global C cycle, which is important in theArctic where greater temperature increases and variability are anticipated relative to the rest of the globe withpotential implications for the C cycle. Understanding and quantification of the current processes governing themovement of C by connecting terrestrial and marine systems is necessary to better estimate future changes ofwaterborne C. This thesis investigates how the sub-arctic landscape influences the waterborne carbon exportby combining data-driven and modeling methods across spatial and temporal scales. First, a study of the stateof total organic carbon monitoring in northern Scandinavia was carried out using national-scale monitoringdata and detailed data from scientific literature. This study, which highlights the consistency in land cover andhydroclimatic controls on waterborne C across northern Scandinavia, was combined with three more detailedstudies leveraging field measurements and modeling. These focused on the Abisko region to provide insightto processes and mechanisms across scales. The thesis highlights that the governing transport mechanismsof dissolved organic and inorganic carbon (DOC and DIC respectively) are fundamentally different due todifferences in release rates associated with the nature of their terrestrial sources (geogenic and organic matterrespectively). As such, the DIC mass flux exhibits a high flow-dependence whereas DOC is relatively flowindependent.Furthermore, these investigations identified significant relationships between waterborne C andbiogeophysical as well as hydroclimatic variables across large to small spatial scales. This thesis demonstratesthat both surface and sub-surface hydrological processes (such as flow pathway distributions) in combinationwith distributions of C sources and associated release rates are prerequisite for understanding waterborne Cdynamics in northern streams. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 1: Submitted. Paper 4: Accepted.</p>

Subarctic and alpine areas are sensitive to climatic change when they lie at the margin of permafrost occurrence. Patterned ground in such areas is generated from an interplay among different mechanisms such as temperature, hydrology, soil texture, snow cower and vegetation. The aim of this study is to describe the connection between patterned ground characteristics and altitude and to evaluate the impact different variables have on the appearance of patterned ground. To understand these interactions is a discussion of self-organization processes, threshold effects and feedback mechanisms essential.  In this investigation, characteristics of patterned ground are examined along an elevation gradient in the Abisko area in Northern Sweden. The study is limited to formations that are categorized into non-sorted circles on flat ground. To detect significant correlations between the characteristics of patterned ground and altitude nine places between 400 and 1400 m above sea level with at least 100 m difference in altitudes were investigated. These sites were categorized into six ridges and three sinks to evaluate the importance of topography. Non-sorted circles have less dwarf shrub, more moss-lichen cover and more cryptogam crust than surrounding ground. Outside the formations the amount of dwarf shrub decreases and the moss-lichen cover increases above 1000 m above sea level. At the highest altitude also a cryptogam crust is occurring around non sorted circles. Significant correlations exist between declining ground temperature and altitude, declining distance between non-sorted circles and altitude, and less dwarf shrub vegetation on non-sorted circles and altitude. These relationships are expected and can be connected to cryoturbation and abiotic stress. Shorter distance between formations can be linked to increased abiotic stress and less coverage soil stabilizing dwarf shrub vegetation. Formations are larger in sinks than ridges and surrounded by less dwarf shrub and more moss-lichen vegetation. This difference can be explained by longer snow duration, humid soil conditions and prolonged freezing processes in ground. Non-sorted circles on an east aspect slope ridge at about 900 meters altitude is characterized by low soil temperatures, high soil moisture, low height and low coverage plants. Around these formations is a well-developed ground cover consisting primarily of dwarf shrub vegetation. These observations are a sign of positive interaction resulting in strong self-generating soil movements that have exceeded a threshold when breaking through vegetation cover. Low soil temperature and high moisture at the time of measurement might be explained by existing ice-front and free water convection. These patterned ground characteristics can be linked to permafrost, the inflow of water from higher leeward slopes and thin snow cower.

The infrastructure of today is getting older and problems caused by deterioration over time is affecting the service life of these structures. In Sweden most of the existing bridges were constructed 60 to 70 years ago, rising the need to determine the state of health of the bridges as the maintenance costs will increase heavily. Part of the above-mentioned cut of the bridges owned by Trafikverket (The Swedish Transport Administration) that was constructed 60 – 70 years ago are pre-stressed concrete bridges. Pre-stressing of concrete structures is today a commonly used technology that utilizes the beneficial characteristic of concrete, the compressive strength, to a further extent than reinforced concrete.     This report will focus on the problems with pre-stressed concrete bridges and particularly on the thermal effects on the Abiskojokk railway bridge located in the northern part of Sweden. The pre-stressed box girder bridge spans in total 86 m in three lengths of 30 m, 35 m respectively 21 m starting from the east abutment and is part of the Iron-Ore Line starting in Kiruna and ending in Narvik, Norway. In an ocular(särskild) inspection of the bridge carried out the 18th of August in 2016 several crack patterns were mapped on the inside of the box girder along with some cracks about the top of the first column support starting from the east abutment. This thesis is focusing on the cracks that was mapped along the tendon positions on the inside of the box girder in the first span starting from the east abutment. The hypothesis is that the cracks are caused by temperature loads and normal forces obtained from the tendons at the thickening of the cross-sections. The research questions are; what the monitoring program shows and if it is possible to prove the hypothesis by using of a FE-model considering the gravity loads, temperature loads and the pre-stressing.     In order to determine the cause of the cracks on the inside of the box girder and investigate the behaviour of the bridge a monitoring program was installed, measuring the crack development over time along with the acceleration and temperatures of the bridge. Example data from the program were later used to analyse the behaviour of the bridge.     The results from the temperature data shows that the bridge has a slowness to temperature changes outside. This gives rise to temperature gradient acting over the bridge parts that may contribute to crack propagation. It also showed that the temperature correlates well with the strain of the cracks. The LVDT’s showed that the largest crack openings during train loading occurred in the second span of the bridge. The data also showed relatively large and unexpected negative peaks during the train loads. The strain gauges also show that the largest strain is occurring in the second span of the bridge. The crack envelopment during a train loads are more expected here and may prove that the negative peaks from the LVDT’s and accelerometers are caused by vibrations. The accelerometers showed that the largest transversal accelerations take place in the first and third span. This may be due to more restricted supports conditions at the column supports than the abutments. The accelerometer also showed correlating negative peaks with the LVDT’s that may be caused by vibrations in the bridge.     The conclusion from the monitoring program so far is that is not possible to prove the cause of the cracks so far, but it may be in the future.     The results from the non-linear FE-model showed that the thermal action of the Eurocode gradient was not enough to crack the concrete along with the pre-stressing load. However, the effects of the hypothesis were proven right.

<p>Snö har en stor betydelse för oss inom hydrologin samt ekologin. Inom hydrologin har snön inverkan på våra vattendrag under vinter och vår dessutom har den en stor betydande roll för elektricitetsproduktionen via vattenkraft. För ekologin ger snön isolering för växter, marken och skydd för mindre djur arter. Snöförhållanden förklarar också ofta naturkatastrofer, så som lavinrisker och översvämningar i vattendragen. Ökad kunskap om snöegenskaper skulle kunna hjälpa oss att förstå alla ovan nämnda skeenden bättre.</p><p>På Abiskos naturvetenskapliga forskningsstation har det sedan år 1961 till nu gjorts snöprofilsmätningar, där snötäckets egenskaper, tjocklek, snölagrets täthet/hårdhet, snö kristallernas fasthet, snökornens storlek och snöns torrhet uppskattas. Dessa mätningar utgör grunden till denna studie där syftet är att klimatologiskt undersöka den inre snöstrukturen.</p><p>Undersökningen av snöns inre struktur ger oss en tydlig bild av att kategorin is förekommer mycket ofta i snötäcket och att dess tjocklek är mycket tunn. Under de senaste 15-åren (1993-2007) har kategorin is utgjorts till 25% av alla egenskaper i snötäckets översta lager. Vi kan även se att snön har blivit mycket blötare under våren för perioden 1993-2007 (senaste 15 åren) speciellt under maj månad. Att detta är klara och distinkta spår på den ökade lufttemperaturen är det inga tvivel på. Tydliga spår av metamorfosen i snötäcket ses när kategorin mycket lucker och lucker har ökat kraftigt i det understa lagret de senaste åren, något som även förklarar ökade lavinrisker i området.</p><p>Snödjupet har minskat under de senaste 15 åren (1993-2007) under hösten (oktober och november) i jämförelse med de andra två 15-års perioderna (1961-1992), men snölagrets tjocklek har däremot ökat under våren.</p> / <p>Snow is of great importance to our environment in ways such as hydrological and ecological. When speaking in terms of hydrology, snow affects our water streams and has a great influence on hydropower. In ecological purposes, snow is a good isolator for vegetation, soil and it also gives shelter for smaller animals. Snow conditions often explain natural disaster, such as risks for avalanches and submergence in the streams. Understanding the fundamentals of snow properties would give scientist a greater understanding of snow and its effects on our environment.</p><p>Snow profile measurements have been made in Abisko research centre since 1961 until present time. Measurements have been done on snow cover properties, such as the thickness of the snow layer, grain size, snow layer hardness, grain compactness and the dryness of the snow. Collected data from Abisko research centre is the foundation of this study where our objective is to analyze the inner snow structure. This will give us a greater understanding of how snow has been behaving historically.</p><p>Result of this study illustrates that category ice occurs very frequent in the snow cover and its thickness is very thin. During the last 15-years (1993-2007) has the category ice constitute up to 25% of all the properties in the snow cover in the upper layer. We can also see that the snow cover has drastically become more wet during spring specially for the month may and there is no doubt that the increased air temperature is behind it. There are also distinct signs of metamorphoses in the snow cover which can explain the increased risks for avalanches in the area.</p><p>Results also shows that the snow depth has decreased during the last 15 years (1993-2007) in autumn (October and November) in comparison with the other 15-year periods (1961-1992), but on the other hand the snow layer thickness has increased during the spring.</p>

Snö har en stor betydelse för oss inom hydrologin samt ekologin. Inom hydrologin har snön inverkan på våra vattendrag under vinter och vår dessutom har den en stor betydande roll för elektricitetsproduktionen via vattenkraft. För ekologin ger snön isolering för växter, marken och skydd för mindre djur arter. Snöförhållanden förklarar också ofta naturkatastrofer, så som lavinrisker och översvämningar i vattendragen. Ökad kunskap om snöegenskaper skulle kunna hjälpa oss att förstå alla ovan nämnda skeenden bättre. På Abiskos naturvetenskapliga forskningsstation har det sedan år 1961 till nu gjorts snöprofilsmätningar, där snötäckets egenskaper, tjocklek, snölagrets täthet/hårdhet, snö kristallernas fasthet, snökornens storlek och snöns torrhet uppskattas. Dessa mätningar utgör grunden till denna studie där syftet är att klimatologiskt undersöka den inre snöstrukturen. Undersökningen av snöns inre struktur ger oss en tydlig bild av att kategorin is förekommer mycket ofta i snötäcket och att dess tjocklek är mycket tunn. Under de senaste 15-åren (1993-2007) har kategorin is utgjorts till 25% av alla egenskaper i snötäckets översta lager. Vi kan även se att snön har blivit mycket blötare under våren för perioden 1993-2007 (senaste 15 åren) speciellt under maj månad. Att detta är klara och distinkta spår på den ökade lufttemperaturen är det inga tvivel på. Tydliga spår av metamorfosen i snötäcket ses när kategorin mycket lucker och lucker har ökat kraftigt i det understa lagret de senaste åren, något som även förklarar ökade lavinrisker i området. Snödjupet har minskat under de senaste 15 åren (1993-2007) under hösten (oktober och november) i jämförelse med de andra två 15-års perioderna (1961-1992), men snölagrets tjocklek har däremot ökat under våren. / Snow is of great importance to our environment in ways such as hydrological and ecological. When speaking in terms of hydrology, snow affects our water streams and has a great influence on hydropower. In ecological purposes, snow is a good isolator for vegetation, soil and it also gives shelter for smaller animals. Snow conditions often explain natural disaster, such as risks for avalanches and submergence in the streams. Understanding the fundamentals of snow properties would give scientist a greater understanding of snow and its effects on our environment. Snow profile measurements have been made in Abisko research centre since 1961 until present time. Measurements have been done on snow cover properties, such as the thickness of the snow layer, grain size, snow layer hardness, grain compactness and the dryness of the snow. Collected data from Abisko research centre is the foundation of this study where our objective is to analyze the inner snow structure. This will give us a greater understanding of how snow has been behaving historically. Result of this study illustrates that category ice occurs very frequent in the snow cover and its thickness is very thin. During the last 15-years (1993-2007) has the category ice constitute up to 25% of all the properties in the snow cover in the upper layer. We can also see that the snow cover has drastically become more wet during spring specially for the month may and there is no doubt that the increased air temperature is behind it. There are also distinct signs of metamorphoses in the snow cover which can explain the increased risks for avalanches in the area. Results also shows that the snow depth has decreased during the last 15 years (1993-2007) in autumn (October and November) in comparison with the other 15-year periods (1961-1992), but on the other hand the snow layer thickness has increased during the spring.