Showing papers on "Snowpack published in 2009"

The Response of Northern Hemisphere Snow Cover to a Changing Climate

Abstract: A snowpack model sensitivity study, observed changes of snow cover in the NOAA satellite dataset, and snow cover simulations from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 3 (CMIP3) multimodel dataset are used to provide new insights into the climate response of Northern Hemisphere (NH) snow cover. Under conditions of warming and increasing precipitation that characterizes both observed and projected climate change over much of the NH land area with seasonal snow cover, the sensitivity analysis indicated snow cover duration (SCD) was the snow cover variable exhibiting the strongest climate sensitivity, with sensitivity varying with climate regime and elevation. The highest snow cover–climate sensitivity was found in maritime climates with extensive winter snowfall—for example, the coastal mountains of western North America (NA). Analysis of trends in snow cover duration during the 1966–2007 period of NOAA data showed the largest decreases were concentrated in a zone where seasonal mean air ...

Changes in snowpack and snowmelt runoff for key mountain regions

Abstract: Mountain snowpack and spring runoff are key components of surface water resources, and serve as important, regionally integrated indicators of climate variability and change. This study examines whether mountain snowpack and snowmelt have manifested a consistent hydrologic response to global climatic changes over the past several decades. Prior findings are compared to identify spatial and temporal patterns of trends in the volume, extent, and seasonality of snowpack and melt for key mountain regions. Evidence suggests that both temperature and precipitation increases to date have impacted mountain snowpacks simultaneously on the global scale; however, the nature of the impact is, among other factors, strongly dependent on geographic location, latitude, and elevation. Warmer temperatures at mid-elevations have decreased snowpack and resulted in earlier melt in spite of precipitation increases, while they have not affected high-elevation regions that remain well below freezing during winter. At high elevations, precipitation increases have resulted in increased snowpack. Not all local responses are consistent with the general findings, possibly because of local climatic trends, atmospheric circulation patterns, record lengths, or data quality issues. With continued warming, increasingly higher elevations are projected to experience declines in snowpack accumulation and melt that can no longer be offset by winter precipitation increases. There is a continued research need for hydroclimatic trend detection and attribution in mountains owing to the length, quality, and sparseness of available data from monitoring stations not directly impacted by human activity. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Implications of global climate change for snowmelt hydrology in the twenty-first century.

Abstract: For most of the global land area poleward of about 40° latitude, snow plays an important role in the water cycle. The (seasonal) timing of runoff in these areas is especially sensitive to projected losses of snowpack associated with warming trends, whereas projected (annual) runoff volume changes are primarily associated with precipitation changes, and to a lesser extent, with changes in evapotranspiration (ET). Regional studies in the USA (and especially the western USA) suggest that hydrologic adjustments to a warming climate have been ongoing since the mid-twentieth century. We extend the insights extracted from the western USA to the global scale using a physically based hydrologic model to assess the effects of systematic changes in precipitation and temperature on snow-affected portions of the global land area as projected by a suite of global climate models. While annual (and in some cases seasonal) changes in precipitation are a key driver of projected changes in annual runoff, we find, as in the western USA, that projected warming produces strong decreases in winter snow accumulation and spring snowmelt over much of the affected area regardless of precipitation change. Decreased snowpack produces decreases in warm-season runoff in many mid- to high-latitude areas where precipitation changes are either moderately positive or negative in the future projections. Exceptions, however, occur in some high-latitude areas, particular in Eurasia, where changes in projected precipitation are large enough to result in increased, rather than decreased, snow accumulation. Overall, projected changes in snowpack and the timing of snowmelt-derived runoff are largest near the boundaries of the areas that currently experience substantial snowfall, and at least qualitatively, they mirror the character of observed changes in the western USA. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Evaluation of forest snow processes models (SnowMIP2)

Abstract: Thirty-three snowpack models of varying complexity and purpose were evaluated across a wide range of hydrometeorological and forest canopy conditions at five Northern Hemisphere locations, for up t ...

Atmospheric rivers induced heavy precipitation and flooding in the western U.S. simulated by the WRF regional climate model

Abstract: [1] A 20-year regional climate simulated by the Weather Research and Forecasting model has been analyzed to study the influence of the atmospheric rivers and land surface conditions on heavy precipitation and flooding in the western U.S. The simulation realistically captured the mean and extreme precipitation, and the precipitation/temperature anomalies of all the atmospheric river events between 1980–1999. Contrasting the 1986 President Day and 1997 New Year Day events, differences in atmospheric stability have an influence on the spatial distribution of precipitation. Although both cases yielded similar precipitation, the 1997 case produced more runoff. Antecedent soil moisture, rainfall versus snowfall, and existing snowpack all seem to play a role, leading to a higher runoff to precipitation ratio for the 1997 case. This study underscores the importance of the atmospheric rivers and land surface conditions for predicting heavy precipitation and floods in the current and future climate of the western U.S.

Groundwater dynamics mediate low-flow response to global warming in snow-dominated alpine regions.

Abstract: [1] In mountain environments, spatial and temporal patterns of snow accumulation and melt are dominant controls on hydrologic responses to climate change. In this paper, we develop a simple conceptual model that links the timing of peak snowmelt with geologically mediated differences in rate of streamflow recession. This model demonstrates that within the western United States, spatial differences in subsurface drainage rates can exacerbate summer streamflow losses associated with diminishing snowpacks. Application of a process-based hydrologic model to four watersheds in the Western Cordillera further reveals that contingent on timing of snowmelt, slower draining watersheds are likely to have more water in summer but paradoxically are subject to the greatest summer water losses under a 1.5°C warming scenario. A slow draining watershed located in the young volcanic arc of the High Cascades in Oregon shows 4 times the summer streamflow reduction when compared with faster draining watersheds with similar timing of peak snowmelt. On the other hand, watersheds where snowmelt occurs late in the season but have little groundwater influence show high relative sensitivities to snowpack changes due to warming, as shown by a high-elevation granitic Sierran watershed. Our results highlight the importance of geological factors in interpreting hydrologic response to climate change and argue for a geoclimatic framework to guide the design of monitoring networks that will become the basis for assessing climate change impacts in mountain regions throughout the globe.

Effects of soot‐induced snow albedo change on snowpack and hydrological cycle in western United States based on Weather Research and Forecasting chemistry and regional climate simulations

Abstract: [1] Radiative forcing induced by soot on snow is an important anthropogenic forcing affecting the global climate. In this study we simulated the deposition of soot aerosol on snow and the resulting impact on snowpack and the hydrological cycle in the western United States. A year-long simulation was performed using the chemistry version of the Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF-Chem) to determine the soot deposition, followed by three simulations using WRF in meteorology-only mode, with and without the soot-induced snow albedo perturbations. The chemistry simulation shows large spatial variability in soot deposition that reflects the localized emissions and the influence of the complex terrain. The soot-induced snow albedo perturbations increase the surface net solar radiation flux during late winter to early spring, increase the surface air temperature, and reduce the snow accumulation and spring snowmelt. These effects are stronger over the central Rockies and southern Alberta, where soot deposition and snowpack overlap the most. The indirect forcing of soot accelerates snowmelt and alters stream flows, including a trend toward earlier melt dates in the western United States. The soot-induced albedo reduction initiates a positive feedback process whereby dirty snow absorbs more solar radiation, heating the surface and warming the air. This warming causes reduced snow depth and fraction, which further reduces the regional surface albedo for the snow-covered regions. For a doubled snow albedo perturbation, the change to surface energy and temperature is around 50–80%; however, snowpack reduction is nonlinearly accelerated.

‘Quantifying the effects of forest canopy cover on net snow accumulation at a continental, mid‐latitude site’

Abstract: Although many studies have investigated the effects of forest cover on streamflow and runoff, and several have examined the effects of canopy density on snowpack accumulation, the impacts of forest canopy density on spatial patterns of snowmelt input to catchments remain relatively underquantified. We performed an intensive snow depth and density survey during maximum accumulation in a mid-latitude montane environment in northern New Mexico, taking 900 snow depth measurements and excavating six snow pits across a continuum of canopy densities. Snow water equivalent (SWE) data are correlated with forest canopy density (R 2 = 0.21, p < 0.0001), with maximum snow accumulation in forests with density between 25 and 40%. Forest edges are shown to be highly influential on patterns of snow depth, with unforested areas shaded by forest to their immediate south holding approximately 25% deeper snow than either large open areas or densely forested areas. This indicates that the combination of canopy influences on throughfall and snowpack shading are key processes underlying snow distribution in the high solar load environments typical of mountainous, mid-latitude areas. We further show that statistical models of snow distribution are improved with the addition of remotely sensed forest canopy information (R 2 increased in 10 of 11 cases, deviance lowered in 9 of 11 cases), making these findings broadly relevant for improving estimation of water resources, predicting the ecohydrological implications of vegetation and climate change, and informing integrated forest and water resources management.

Climate, lightning ignitions, and fire severity in Yosemite National Park, California, USA.

Abstract: Continental-scale studies of western North America have attributed recent increases in annual area burned and fire size to a warming climate, but these studies have focussed on large fires and have left the issues of fire severity and ignition frequency unaddressed. Lightning ignitions, any of which could burn a large area given appropriate conditions for fire spread, could be the first indication of more frequent fire. We examined the relationship between snowpack and the ignition and size of fires that occurred in Yosemite National Park, California (area 3027 km2), between 1984 and 2005. During this period, 1870 fires burned 77 718 ha. Decreased spring snowpack exponentially increased the number of lightning-ignited fires. Snowpack mediated lightning-ignited fires by decreasing the proportion of lightning strikes that caused lightning-ignited fires and through fewer lightning strikes in years with deep snowpack. We also quantified fire severity for the 103 fires >40 ha with satellite fire-severity indices using 23 years of Landsat Thematic Mapper data. The proportion of the landscape that burned at higher severities and the complexity of higher-severity burn patches increased with the log10 of annual area burned. Using one snowpack forecast, we project that the number of lightning-ignited fires will increase 19.1% by 2020 to 2049 and the annual area burned at high severity will increase 21.9%. Climate-induced decreases in snowpack and the concomitant increase in fire severity suggest that existing assumptions may be understated – fires may become more frequent and more severe.

Characteristics of wet-snow avalanche activity: 20 years of observations from a high alpine valley (Dischma, Switzerland)

Abstract: The occurrence of wet-snow avalanches is, in general, poorly understood. For 20 years (winters of 1975–1976 to 1994–1995), the avalanche activity has been observed in the Dischma valley near Davos (Eastern Swiss Alps). The study area comprises a large starting zone of north-easterly aspect (2,300 m a.s.l.) with several avalanche paths. We have analyzed the occurrence data in combination with meteorological and snowpack data collected at an elevation of 2,090 m a.s.l. During the 20-year observation period, almost 800 wet-snow avalanches were observed, about 4.5 times more loose snow avalanches than slab avalanches. Considering both types of avalanches jointly, snow depth, precipitation and air temperature showed the highest correlation with avalanche activity. Most loose snow avalanches occurred when air temperature was high and/or after a precipitation period. Slab avalanches occurrence was primarily related to warm air temperatures and snowpack properties such as the isothermal state and the existence of capillary barriers. Radiation did not show up as a significant variable. The results suggest that in a transitional snow climate wet-snow avalanches are, as dry snow avalanches, often related to precipitation events, and that wet slab instability strongly depends on snowpack properties in relation to warming of the snowpack and melt water production.

Complex Dielectric Permittivity Measurements from Ground-Penetrating Radar Data to Estimate Snow Liquid Water Content in the Pendular Regime

Abstract: [1] Monitoring the snow water equivalent (SWE) is critical to effective management of water resources in many parts of the world that depend on the mountain snowpack for water storage. There are currently no methods to remotely sense SWE with accuracy over large lateral distances in the steep and often forested terrain of mountain basins. Previous studies have shown that measurements of ground-penetrating radar (GPR) velocity can provide accurate estimates of SWE in dry snow. Introduction of liquid water into the snowpack results in a three-phase system that cannot be accurately characterized with GPR velocity alone. We show that measuring the frequency-dependent GPR signal attenuation and velocity provides a direct estimate of the complex dielectric permittivity. Because the imaginary component is a function only of liquid water content, we can utilize both the real and imaginary components of the permittivity to estimate liquid water content, snow density, and SWE using existing empirical relationships that are valid in the pendular regime. We tested this new method at two field sites and found that the estimates were accurate to within 12% of gravimetric methods in both a moist and a dry snowpack. GPR has the potential to provide SWE estimates across large lateral distances over a broad range of snow conditions.

Storage and release of solutes from a subalpine seasonal snowpack: soil and stream water response, Niwot Ridge, Colorado

Abstract: Much of the research on the chemistry of snow and surface waters of the western US, Europe, and Asia has been conducted in high-elevation catchments above treeline. Here we provide information on the solute content of the seasonal snowpack at the Soddie site on Niwot Ridge, Colorado, a subalpine site near treeline. We focus on the storage and release of both inorganic and organic solutes to the soils underneath the snowpack, and subsequent effects on the chemical and nutrient content of the underlying soil solution and the adjacent headwater stream. The concentration of inorganic nitrogen (N) stored in the seasonal snowpack at the Soddie site of about 11 μeq L−1 was on the upper end of values reported for the northern hemisphere when compared to most areas of the Alps, Himalayas, and Tien Shan mountain ranges, but consistent with other reports of snowpacks in the Rocky Mountains. The storage of inorganic N in the snowpack at maximum accumulation averaged about 17 meq m−2, or 170 eq ha−1 (on the order of 2 kg-N ha−1). Solutes were released from storage in the form of an ionic pulse, with a maximum concentration factor of about four. In contrast to the seasonal snowpack, the dominant form of N in the soil solution was dissolved organic N. Thus, soils underlying the seasonal snowpack appear to assimilate inorganic N released from storage in the snowpack and convert it to organic N. A two component mixing model suggests that the majority of streamflow was this year’s snowmelt that had infiltrated the subsurface and undergone subsequent biological and geochemical reactions. The inorganic N in surface waters at the headwaters of Como creek were always near or below detection limits, suggesting that this area at treeline is still N-limited.

An automated system for continuous measurements of trace gas fluxes through snow: an evaluation of the gas diffusion method at a subalpine forest site, Niwot Ridge, Colorado

Abstract: An experimental system for sampling trace gas fluxes through seasonal snowpack was deployed at a subalpine site near treeline at Niwot Ridge, Colorado. The sampling manifold was in place throughout the entire snow-covered season for continuous air sampling with minimal disturbance to the snowpack. A series of gases (carbon dioxide, water vapor, nitrous oxide, nitric oxide, ozone, volatile organic compounds) was determined in interstitial air withdrawn at eight heights in and above the snowpack at ~hourly intervals. In this paper, carbon dioxide data from 2007 were used for evaluation of this technique. Ancillary data recorded inlcuded snow physical properties, i.e., temperature, pressure, and density. Various vertical concentration gradients were determined from the multiple height measurements, which allowed calculation of vertical gas fluxes through the snowpack using Fick’s 1st law of diffusion. Comparison of flux results obtained from different height inlet combinations show that under most conditions fluxes derived from individual gradient intervals agree with the overall median of all data within a factor of 1.5. Winds were found to significantly influence gas concentration and gradients in the snowpack. Under the highest observed wind conditions, concentration gradients and calculated fluxes dropped to as low as 13% of non-wind conditions. Measured differential pressure amplitude exhibited a linear relationship with wind speed. This suggests that wind speed is a sound proxy for assessing advection transport in the snow. Neglecting the wind-pumping effect resulted in considerable underestimation of gas fluxes. An analysis of dependency of fluxes on wind speeds during a 3-week period in mid-winter determined that over this period actual gas fluxes were most likely 57% higher than fluxes calculated by the diffusion method, which omits the wind pumping dependency.

Modeling the hydrology of climate change in California's Sierra Nevada for subwatershed scale adaptation.

Abstract: Young, Charles A., Marisa I. Escobar-Arias, Martha Fernandes, Brian Joyce, Michael Kiparsky, Jeffrey F. Mount, Vishal K. Mehta, David Purkey, Joshua H. Viers, and David Yates, 2009. Modeling the Hydrology of Climate Change in California’s Sierra Nevada for Subwatershed Scale Adaptation. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 45(6):1409-1423. Abstract: The rainfall-runoff model presented in this study represents the hydrology of 15 major watersheds of the Sierra Nevada in California as the backbone of a planning tool for water resources analysis including climate change studies. Our model implementation documents potential changes in hydrologic metrics such as snowpack and the initiation of snowmelt at a finer resolution than previous studies, in accordance with the needs of watershed-level planning decisions. Calibration was performed with a sequence of steps focusing sequentially on parameters of land cover, snow accumulation and melt, and water capacity and hydraulic conductivity of soil horizons. An assessment of the calibrated streamflows using goodness of fit statistics indicate that the model robustly represents major features of weekly average flows of the historical 1980-2001 time series. Runs of the model for climate warming scenarios with fixed increases of 2°C, 4°C, and 6°C for the spatial domain were used to analyze changes in snow accumulation and runoff timing. The results indicated a reduction in snowmelt volume that was largest in the 1,750-2,750 m elevation range. In addition, the runoff center of mass shifted to earlier dates and this shift was non-uniformly distributed throughout the Sierra Nevada. Because the hydrologic model presented here is nested within a water resources planning system, future research can focus on the management and adaptation of the water resources system in the context of climate change.

Northwest Territories and Nunavut Snow Characteristics from a Subarctic Traverse: Implications for Passive Microwave Remote Sensing

Abstract: During April 2007, a coordinated series of snow measurements was made across the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, Canada, during a snowmobile traverse from Fairbanks, Alaska, to Baker Lake, Nunavut. The purpose of the measurements was to document the general nature of the snowpack across this region for the evaluation of satellite- and model-derived estimates of snow water equivalent (SWE). Although detailed, local snow measurements have been made as part of ongoing studies at tundra field sites (e.g., Daring Lake and Trail Valley Creek in the Northwest Territories; Toolik Lake and the Kuparak River basin in Alaska), systematic measurements at the regional scale have not been previously collected across this region of northern Canada. The snow cover consisted of depth hoar and wind slab with small and ephemeral fractions of new, recent, and icy snow. The snow was shallow (<40 cm deep), usually with fewer than six layers. Where snow was deposited on lake and river ice, it was shallower, denser, ...

Radiance assimilation shows promise for snowpack characterization

Abstract: [1] We demonstrate an ensemble-based radiance assimilation methodology for estimating snow depth and snow grain size using ground-based passive microwave (PM) radiance observations at 187 and 365 GHz A land surface model (LSM) was used to develop a prior estimate of the snowpack states, and a radiative transfer model was used to relate the modeled states to the observations within a data assimilation scheme Snow depth bias was −533 cm prior to the assimilation, and −73 cm after the assimilation Snow depth estimated by a non-assimilation-based retrieval algorithm using the same PM observations had a bias of −183 cm Our results suggest that assimilation of PM radiance observations into LSMs shows promise for snowpack characterization, with the potential for improved results over products from instantaneous (“snapshot”) retrieval algorithms or the assimilation of those retrievals into LSMs

Snow avalanche regime and climatic conditions in the Chic-Choc Range, eastern Canada

Abstract: Because snow avalanches occur at altitudes close to the 0°C isotherm in mountain environments, they should respond quickly to climatic variations. This study provides tree-ring-based high-magnitude avalanche chronologies for 12 subalpine avalanche paths in the Chic-Choc Range of Quebec (eastern Canada). For the period covered by the chronologies, i.e., between 1895 and 1999, high-magnitude avalanches occurred with an average return interval of 5.3 years, which represents an average annual probability of 21% for all paths. A regional avalanche activity index (RAAI) was developed to help differentiating widespread regional avalanche activity from avalanche events resulting from local factors. Nineteen years of high-magnitude avalanche occurrence were identified (1898, 1936, 1939, 1941, 1965, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1977, 1981, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994 and 1995). Of these, 15 occurred after 1950 and 10 after 1980. Propitious climatic conditions that account for widespread avalanche activity in the study region were identified as follows: (1) above-average total snowfall, (2) high-frequency of snowstorms, (3) major rain events and facet–crust development, (4) sequences of freezing rain and strong winds, and (5) early-season weak layers of faceted crystals and depth hoar. The number of days with air temperature above 0°C has strong implications on the internal structure and stratigraphy of the snowpack, and consequently on avalanche release. Land managers should thus consider more closely the impact of climatic conditions and warming on avalanche activity.

Reconstructing snow avalanches in the Southeastern Pyrenees

Abstract: . A regional study of snow avalanche processes was undertaken in the SE Pyrenees. Dendrogeomorphology was used to date and reconstruct large-scale snow avalanche events that occurred in the last four decades. Dendrochronological analyses yielded the dates of nine winters when avalanches occurred in the recent past in six studied avalanche paths. Some of these avalanches were already known, but others had not been documented. In one case, the existing avalanche path map was improved with the dendrogeomorphological information of a larger past event. As a result of the dendrogeomorphological analyses, evidence for three regional-scale major avalanche years was identified in the SE Pyrenees from 1971 to 2004: 1971–1972, 1995–1996 and 2002–2003. The specific synoptic atmospheric situations and the most likely nivometeorological and snowpack conditions that released these major avalanches were determined using weather data for the seasons of major avalanche releases. In 1971–1972 the snow avalanche episode was characterized by a deep trough crossing the Pyrenees. In 1995–1996 a variety of meteorological situations produced several episodes of major avalanches. In 2002–2003 the more significant of two episodes was attributed to a north advection pumping an arctic air mass over the Pyrenees. The 1995–1996 avalanche season proved to be the most notable in the four past decades in the Pyrenees.

Assessing the Impacts of Global Warming on Snowpack in the Washington Cascades

Abstract: The decrease in mountain snowpack associated with global warming is difficult to estimate in the presence of the large year-to-year natural variability in observations of snow-water equivalent (SWE). A more robust approach for inferring the impacts of global warming is to estimate the temperature sensitivity (λ) of spring snowpack and multiply it by putative past and future temperature rises observed across the Northern Hemisphere. Estimates of λ can be obtained from (i) simple geometric considerations based on the notion that as the seasonal-mean temperature rises by the amount δT, the freezing level and the entire snowpack should rise by the increment δT/Γ, where Γ is the mean lapse rate; (ii) the regression of 1 April SWE measurements upon mean winter temperatures; (iii) a hydrological model forced by daily temperature and precipitation observations; and (iv) the use of inferred accumulated snowfall derived from daily temperature and precipitation data as a proxy for SWE. All four methods yiel...

Airborne Ku-Band Polarimetric Radar Remote Sensing of Terrestrial Snow Cover

Abstract: Characteristics of the Ku-band polarimetric scatterometer (POLSCAT) data acquired from five sets of aircraft flights in the winter months of 2006-2008 for the second Cold Land Processes Experiment (CLPX-II) in Colorado are described in this paper. The data showed the response of the Ku-band radar echoes to snowpack changes for various types of background vegetation in the study site in north central Colorado. We observed about 0.15-0.5-dB increases in backscatter for every 1 cm of snow-water-equivalent (SWE) accumulation for areas with short vegetation (sagebrush and pasture). The region with the smaller amount of biomass, signified by the backscatter in November, seemed to have the stronger backscatter response to SWE in decibels. The data also showed the impact of surface hoar growth and freeze/thaw cycles, which created large snow-grain sizes, ice crust layers, and ice lenses and consequently increased the radar signals by a few decibels. The copolarized HH/VV backscatter ratio seems to indicate double-bounce scattering between the ground surface and snow or vegetation. The cross-polarized backscatter [vertical-horizontal (VH)] showed not only the influence of vegetation but also the strong response to snow accumulation. The observed HV/VV ratio suggests the importance of multiple scattering or nonspherical scattering geometry of snow grain in the dense-media radiative transfer scattering model. Comparison of the POLSCAT and QuikSCAT data was made and confirmed the effects of mixed terrain covers in the coarse-resolution QuikSCAT data.

Modeling time series of microwave brightness temperature in Antarctica

Abstract: This paper aims to interpret the temporal variations of microwave brightness temperature (at 19 and 37 GHz and at vertical and horizontal polarizations) in Antarctica using a physically based snow dynamic and emission model (SDEM). SDEM predicts time series of top-of-atmosphere brightness temperature from widely available surface meteorological data (ERA-40 re-analysis). To do so, it successively computes the heat flux incoming the snowpack, the snow temperature profile, the microwaves emitted by the snow and, finally, the propagation of the microwaves through the atmosphere up to the satellite. Since the model contains several parameters whose value is variable and uncertain across the continent, the parameter values are optimized for every 50 km × 50 km pixel. Simulation results show that the model is inadequate in the melt zone (where surface melting occurs on at least a few days a year) because the snowpack structure and its temporal variations are too complex. In contrast, the accuracy is reasonably good in the dry zone and varies between 2 and 4 K depending on the frequency and polarization of observations and on the location. At the Antarctic scale, the error is larger where wind is usually stronger, suggesting either that meteorological data are less accurate in windy regions or that some neglected processes (e.g. windpumping, surface scouring) are important. At Dome C, in calm conditions, a detailed analysis shows that most of the error is due to inaccuracy of the ERA-40 air temperature (∼2 K). Finally, the paper discusses the values of the optimized parameters and their spatial variations across the Antarctic.

Biological and physical influences on the carbon isotope content of CO2 in a subalpine forest snowpack, Niwot Ridge, Colorado.

Abstract: Considerable research has recently been devoted to understanding biogeochemical processes under winter snow cover, leading to enhanced appreciation of the importance of many winter ecological processes. In this study, a comprehensive investigation of the stable carbon isotope composition (d 13 C) of CO2 within a high-elevation subalpine forest snowpack was conducted. Our goals were to study the d 13 C of biological soil respiration under snow in winter, and to assess the relative importance of diffusion and advection (ventilation by wind) for gas transport within snow. In agreement with other studies, we found evidence of an active microbial community under a roughly 1-m deep snowpack during winter and into spring as it melted. Under- snow CO2 mole fractions were observed up to 3,500 lmol mol -1 , and d 13 Co f CO 2 varied from *-22 to *-8%. The d 13 C of soil respiration calculated from mixing relationships was -26 to -24%, and although it varied in time, it was generally close to that of the bulk organic horizon (-26.0%). Subnivean CO2 and d 13 C were quite dynamic in response to changes in soil temperature, liquid water availability, and wind events. No clear biologically-induced isotopic changes were observed during periods when microbial activity and root/ rhizosphere activity were expected to vary, although such changes cannot be eliminated. There was clear evidence of isotopic enrichment associated with diffusive transport as predicted by theory, but simple

NASA Cold Land Processes Experiment (CLPX 2002/03): Field measurements of snowpack properties and soil moisture

Abstract: A field measurement program was undertaken as part NASA’s Cold Land Processes Experiment (CLPX). Extensive snowpack and soil measurements were taken at field sites in Colorado over four study periods during the two study years (2002 and 2003). Measurements included snow depth, density, temperature, grain type and size, surface wetness, surface roughness, and canopy cover. Soil moisture measurements were made in the near-surface layer in snow pits. Measurements were taken in the Fraser valley, North Park, and Rabbit Ears Pass areas of Colorado. Sites were chosen to gain a wide representation of snowpack types and physiographies typical of seasonally snow-covered regions of the world. The data have been collected with rigorous protocol to ensure consistency and quality, and they have undergone several levels of quality assurance to produce a high-quality spatial dataset for continued cold lands hydrological research. The dataset is archived at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) in Boulder, Colorado.

European snow cover extent variability and associations with atmospheric forcings

Abstract: Snow cover in Europe represents an important component of the region's climatic system. Variability in snow cover extent can have major implications on factors such as low-level atmospheric temperatures, soil temperatures, soil moisture, stream discharge, and energy allocation involved in the warming and melting of the snowpack. The majority of studies investigating Northern Hemisphere snow cover identify European snow cover extent as a portion of the Eurasian record, possibly masking complexities of this subset. This study explores the variability of European snow cover extent from 1967–2007, with the region in question including the area of Europe extending eastward to the Ural Mountains (60°E). Using the 89 × 89 gridded National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Northern Hemisphere weekly satellite snow cover product, area estimates of seasonal snow cover were calculated, and their relationship to gridded temperature, precipitation, and sea-level pressure data analysed. The spatial variability of snow cover extent was also explored using geographical information systems (GIS). The combined results from both surface temperature and precipitation analyses point towards snow cover extent in Europe being primarily temperature dependent. Atmospheric variables associated with extremes in snow cover extent were investigated. Large (small) European snow extent is associated with negative (positive) 850 hPa zonal wind anomalies, negative (positive) European 1000–500 hPa thickness anomalies, and generally positive (negative) Northern European precipitation anomalies. Sea-level pressure and 500 hPa results indicate strong associations between large (small) snow cover seasons and the negative (positive) phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation. Copyright © 2009 Royal Meteorological Society

Organic Contaminant Release from Melting Snow. 2. Influence of Snow Pack and Melt Characteristics

Abstract: Large reservoirs of organic contaminants in seasonal snowpack can be released in short pulses during spring snowmelt, potentially impacting the receiving ecosystems. Laboratory experiments using artificial snow spiked with organic target substances were conducted to investigate the behavior of six organic contaminants with widely variable distribution properties in melting snow. Whereas the influence of a chemical’s equilibrium phase partitioning on the elution behavior is explored in a companion paper, we discuss here the impact of snow properties and melt features, including the snowpack depth, the temperature at the interface between soil and snow, the meltwater content, the internal ice surface area, and the existence of distinct snow layers. Water-soluble organic substances are released in high concentrations at the beginning of a melt period when a deep and aged snowpack undergoes intense melting. Warm ground can cause notable melting at the snow bottom leading to a delayed and dampened concentratio...