Using Near-Surface Ground Temperature Data to Derive Snow Insulation and Melt Indices for Mountain Permafrost Applications

Staub, Benno; Delaloye, Reynald

doi:10.1002/ppp.1890

Cited by 30 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…The timing of the snow cover has not been taken into account when making adjustments to the snow height. Staub and Delaloye have proposed a method to calculate snow insulation and melt indices from near‐surface ground temperature data which could be used to adjust for the timing of the snow cover in future work.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Near‐surface ventilation as a key for modeling the thermal regime of coarse blocky rock glaciers

Pruessner

Phillips

Farinotti

et al. 2018

Permafrost & Periglacial

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In a changing climate, ice‐rich permafrost features such as rock glaciers will experience drastic changes. Modeling the heat transport through the blocky surface layer with its large interstitial pore spaces poses some challenges as various modes of non‐conductive heat transport—advective forms in particular—can occur. Here, we show that the 1D physics‐based model SNOWPACK can be used with a suitably adapted parameterization of ventilation to represent heat transport with reasonable accuracy. To do so, only one site‐specific parameter, which is linked to the size of the pores in the blocky layer, is used. Inclusion of this ventilation parameterization is shown to be important for modeling the thermal regime at three experimental sites in the Swiss Alps. Furthermore, it could be shown that (i) snow depth dynamics exert a strong control on the thermal regime, (ii) the ice‐content stratigraphy needs to be known precisely and (iii) the augmented heat flux through the blocky layer caused by ventilation in both snow and blocks is important.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Near‐surface ventilation as a key for modeling the thermal regime of coarse blocky rock glaciers

Pruessner

Phillips

Farinotti

et al. 2018

Permafrost & Periglacial

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“…While a thin and compacted snow layer allows for fast heat transfer between the ground and the atmosphere, and, in some cases even for an increase in ground cooling due to high albedo and high ice thermal diffusivity, a thick snow pack acts as buffer between the ground and the atmosphere. If snow is thick enough, the thermal wave will be delayed in the ground (Goodrich, 1982;Staub and Delaloye, 2016;Williams and Smith, 1989). If the ground is unfrozen at depth, heat will flow towards the snow pack and the ground surface temperature will be controlled by phase change at the snow interface, generating near 0 • C isothermal regimes (Vieira et al, 2003) -the so-called zerocurtain effect (Outcalt et al, 1990).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New observations indicate the possible presence of permafrost in North Africa (Djebel Toubkal, High Atlas, Morocco)

2017

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Abstract. Relict and present-day periglacial features have been reported in the literature for the upper reaches of the High Atlas mountains, which is the highest range in North Africa (Djebel Toubkal -4167 m a.s.l.). A lobate feature in the Irhzer Ikhibi south at 3800 m a.s.l. has been previously interpreted as an active rock glacier, but no measurements of ground or air temperatures are known to exist for the area. In order to assess the possible presence of permafrost, we analyse data from June 2015 to June 2016 from two air temperature measurement sites at 2370 and 3210 m a.s.l. and from four ground surface temperature (GST) sites at 3220, 3815, 3980 and 4160 m a.s.l. to characterize conditions along an altitudinal gradient along the Oued Ihghyghaye valley to the summit of the Djebel Toubkal. GSTs were collected at 1 h intervals, and the presence of snow cover at the monitoring sites was validated using Landsat 8 and Sentinel-2 imagery. Two field visits allowed for logger installation and collection and for assessing the geomorphological features in the area. The results show that snow plays a major role on the thermal regime of the shallow ground, inducing important spatial variability. The lowest site at 3220 m had a thermal regime characterized by frequent freeze-thaw cycles during the cold season but with few days of snow. When snow settled, the ground surface remained isothermal at 0 • C , indicating the absence of permafrost. The highest sites at 3980 and 4160 m a.s.l. showed very frequent freeze-thaw cycles and a small influence of the snow cover on GST, reflecting the lack of snow accumulation due to the wind-exposed settings on a ridge and on the summit plateau. The site located at 3815 m in the Irhzer Ikhibi south valley had a cold, stable thermal regime with GST varying from −4.5 to −6 • C from December to March, under a continuous snow cover.The site's location in a concave setting favours wind-driven snow accumulation and lower incoming solar radiation due to the shading effect of a ridge, inducing the conservation of a thick snow pack. The stable and low GSTs are interpreted as a strong indicator of the probable presence of permafrost at this site, which is an interpretation supported by the presence of lobate and arcuate features in the talus deposits. We present first results and further observations using geophysics, and borehole measurements are foreseen. This is the first time that probable permafrost has been reported from temperature observations in the mountains of North Africa.

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“…Humlum, 1997;Sawada et al, 2003;Staub and Delaloye, 2016), in-situ measurements are rare, in particular because a standard sensor deployment is often difficult due to the coarse-grained surface layer (Buchli et al, 2013). To our knowledge, direct measurements of water infiltration into the permafrost body are nonexistent so far.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Resolution capacity of geophysical monitoring regarding permafrost degradation induced by hydrological processes

et al. 2017

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Abstract. Geophysical methods are often used to characterize and monitor the subsurface composition of permafrost. The resolution capacity of standard methods, i.e. electrical resistivity tomography and refraction seismic tomography, depends not only on static parameters such as measurement geometry, but also on the temporal variability in the contrast of the geophysical target variables (electrical resistivity and P-wave velocity). Our study analyses the resolution capacity of electrical resistivity tomography and refraction seismic tomography for typical processes in the context of permafrost degradation using synthetic and field data sets of mountain permafrost terrain. In addition, we tested the resolution capacity of a petrophysically based quantitative combination of both methods, the so-called 4-phase model, and through this analysed the expected changes in water and ice content upon permafrost thaw. The results from the synthetic data experiments suggest a higher sensitivity regarding an increase in water content compared to a decrease in ice content. A potentially larger uncertainty originates from the individual geophysical methods than from the combined evaluation with the 4-phase model. In the latter, a loss of ground ice can be detected quite reliably, whereas artefacts occur in the case of increased horizontal or vertical water flow. Analysis of field data from a well-investigated rock glacier in the Swiss Alps successfully visualized the seasonal ice loss in summer and the complex spatially variable ice, water and air content changes in an interannual comparison.

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Using Near-Surface Ground Temperature Data to Derive Snow Insulation and Melt Indices for Mountain Permafrost Applications

Cited by 30 publications

References 44 publications

Near‐surface ventilation as a key for modeling the thermal regime of coarse blocky rock glaciers

Near‐surface ventilation as a key for modeling the thermal regime of coarse blocky rock glaciers

New observations indicate the possible presence of permafrost in North Africa (Djebel Toubkal, High Atlas, Morocco)

Resolution capacity of geophysical monitoring regarding permafrost degradation induced by hydrological processes

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