Between December 2012 and March 2013, snow measurements were conducted in 3 snow pits at both Gourlay Snowfield and Tuva Glacier, Signy Island, to determine the bacterial diversity within the snowpacks. Sites are denoted ''TX'' and ''GY'', where ''X'' and ''Y'' are numbers representing one of nine snowpits in a grid at Tuva and Gourlay respectively. Snow samples of the ''top'' layer were taken from the surface snow layer at a depth of 0 to 20 cm from the surface; snow samples of the middle ''mid'' layer were taken from 20 cm to the bottom of the snow pit; and samples from the ''ice'' layer were taken from the superimposed ice at the bottom of the snow pit. Snow and ice samples were collected from these pits and transported frozen to the UK for further analysis.

Funding was provided by the NERC grants NE/H014446/1 and NE/H014802/1.