Snowmelt: A two‐dimensional turbulent diffusion model

Weisman, Richard N.

doi:10.1029/wr013i002p00337

Cited by 36 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Most of the divergence is likely to be within a few tens of metres of the margin (Weisman, 1977). Flux divergence due to horizontal temperature change is assumed to be negligible since the distance to the ice margin at the Peyto site was nearly 5 km upwind and 0.5 km across wind.…”

Section: Data Selectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

On fitting the log-linear model to wind speed and temperature profiles over a melting glacier

Munro

Davies

1978

Boundary-Layer Meteorol

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The profile structure of wind speed and temperature in katabatic flow over a melting glacier is analyzed within the log-linear framework. Similarity between windspeed and temperature profiles is indicated but the log-linear model should be restricted to heights within 1.5 m of the ice. Marked deviation from the model occur at greater heights, probably due to the effects of flux divergence. Unlike results from other stable atmospheres, Q decreases with increasing stability. This may arise from the use of the Obukhov length L. When the height H at which the wind speed reaches its maximum value is used instead, (Y does not vary with stability.It has mean values of 4.5 and 4.3 for windspeed and temperature profiles, respectively.

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Section: Data Selectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

On fitting the log-linear model to wind speed and temperature profiles over a melting glacier

Munro

Davies

1978

Boundary-Layer Meteorol

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“…The differences in energetics across snow and nonsnow areas lead to a heterogeneous distribution of surface temperatures as snow is limited to a maximum of 0°C due to phase change. Air flow across patchy snowcover leads to local‐scale sensible heat advection ( H A ) to snow (Essery et al , ; Granger et al , ; Liston, ; Mott et al, ; Weisman, ); however, complimentary research on latent heat advection ( LE A ) has not occurred.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local‐Scale Advection of Sensible and Latent Heat During Snowmelt

Harder

Pomeroy

Helgason

2017

Geophysical Research Letters

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The breakup of snow cover into patches during snowmelt leads to a dynamic, heterogeneous land surface composed of melting snow, and wet and dry soil and plant surfaces. Energy exchange with the atmosphere is therefore complicated by horizontal gradients in surface temperature and humidity as snow surface temperature and humidity are regulated by the phase change of melting snow unlike snow‐free areas. Airflow across these surface transitions results in local‐scale advection of energy that has been documented as sensible heat during snowmelt, while latent heat advection has received scant attention. Herein, results are presented from an experiment measuring near‐surface profiles of air temperature and humidity across snow‐free to snow‐covered transitions that demonstrates that latent heat advection can be the same order of magnitude as sensible heat advection and is therefore an important source of snowmelt energy. Latent heat advection is conditional on an upwind source of water vapor from a wetted snow‐free surface.

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“…This 25 relates the horizontal water vapour gradient to be in terms of an equivalent temperature gradient; in the units of the original parametrization. The coefficient for uses the humidity stability parameter of Weisman (1977) rather than the temperature stability parameter.…”

Section: Advection Versus Distance From Surface Transitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…(Gray et al, 1986) In the 32 years since this statement was published there have been a variety of approaches formulated to calculate advection of energy to snowpacks. Earlier work by Weisman (1977) applied mixing length theory to estimate advection to lakes and snow patches with the model implicitly accounting for both latent heat advection ( ) and sensible heat advection ( ). This 10 work was limited to defined snow patches and was proposed when the understanding of the statistical properties of snow-cover were insufficient to allow estimation of advection over the course of a melt sequence.…”

Section: "The Major Obstacle To the Development Of An Energy Balance mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The coefficient (-) scales with wind speed and the horizontal scalar gradient and the coefficient (-) is a function of the 20 Weisman (1977) stability parameters ( ). Parametrizations for these coefficients vary for sensible ( ) and latent ( ) heat advection and whether advection is from a snow-free patch or to a snow patch; parametrizations are summarized in Table 1.…”

Section: Advection Versus Distance From Surface Transitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

A simple model for local scale sensible and latent heat advection contributions to snowmelt

Harder¹,

Pomeroy²,

Helgason³

2018

Preprint

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Abstract. Local-scale advection of energy from warm snow-free surfaces to cold snow-covered surfaces is an important component of the energy balance during snowcover depletion. Unfortunately, this process is difficult to quantify in onedimensional snowmelt models. This manuscript proposes a simple sensible and latent heat advection model for snowmelt 10 situations that can be readily coupled to one-dimensional energy balance snowmelt models. An existing advection parameterization was coupled to a conceptual frozen soil infiltration surface water retention model to estimate the areal average sensible and latent heat advection contributions to snowmelt. The proposed model compared well with observations of latent and sensible heat advection providing confidence in the process parameterizations and the assumptions applied. Snowcovered area observations from unmanned aerial vehicle imagery were used to update and evaluate the scaling properties of snow patch 15 area distribution and lengths. Model dynamics and snowmelt implications were explored within an idealized modelling experiment, by coupling to a one-dimensional energy balance snowmelt model. Dry, snow-free surfaces were associated with negative latent heat advection fluxes that compensated for positive sensible heat advection fluxes and so limited the net influence of advection on snowmelt. Latent and sensible heat advection fluxes both contributed positive fluxes to snow when snow-free surfaces were wet and enhanced net advection contributions to snowmelt. The increased net advection fluxes from 20 wet surfaces typically develop towards the end of snowmelt and offset decreases in the one-dimensional areal average melt energy that declines with snowcovered area. The new model can be readily incorporated into existing one-dimensional snowmelt hydrology and land surface scheme models and will foster improvements in snowmelt understanding and predictions.

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Snowmelt: A two‐dimensional turbulent diffusion model

Cited by 36 publications

References 14 publications

On fitting the log-linear model to wind speed and temperature profiles over a melting glacier

On fitting the log-linear model to wind speed and temperature profiles over a melting glacier

Local‐Scale Advection of Sensible and Latent Heat During Snowmelt

A simple model for local scale sensible and latent heat advection contributions to snowmelt

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