Snow on sea ice alters the properties of the underlying ice cover as well as associated exchange processes at the interfaces between atmosphere, sea ice and ocean. As Antarctic snow cover persists during most of the year, it contributes significantly to the sea-ice mass budget due to physical (seasonal) transition processes within the snowpack. Therefore, several studies have shown the importance of comprehensive understanding of snow properties for large-scale estimates in the ice-covered oceans. However, field studies reveal not only a strong seasonality but especially spatial variations from small to large scales in the Antarctic snowpack. It is therefore the overall aim of the proposed project to locate and quantify internal snow melt, snow metamorphism, and snow-ice formation in the Antarctic snowpack on different spatial scales. Results will improve our understanding of processes and interactions in the snowpack as well as at the snow/ice interface associated with seasonal and inter-annual variations in the sea-ice mass budget of the Southern Ocean.