A parallel-probe saturation profiler: a new technique for fast profiling of meltwater saturation in a seasonal snowpack

Kapil, J.C.; Prasher, C.; Chasmai, Moiz; Satyawali, P. K.

doi:10.3189/002214309790152410

Cited by 6 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…As the growth of melt–freeze polycrystals depends on liquid water saturation and sub-freezing temperatures (Colbeck 1986, 1997), we studied the mass growth of melt–freeze polycrystals as a function of liquid water saturation at –6°C. The vertical distributions of water saturation within different stratified sub-layers were recorded with the help of a parallel-probe saturation profiler (PPSP) device, developed by Kapil and others (2009). The dependency of intrinsic permeability for stratified sub-layers of snow on collective saturation (cumulative saturation values) was studied to monitor the evolution of impermeable horizons within the snow.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Growth of melt–freeze clusters and formation of impeding layers to water flow in snow irradiated by a sun simulator under controlled laboratory conditions

Kapil¹,

Prasher²,

Datt³

et al. 2010

Ann. Glaciol.

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Stratigraphic boundaries at fine-to-coarse transitions in snow can introduce impeding layers to infiltrating water. In our present investigation, such impeding horizons were observed within sub-freezing homogeneous snow as a consequence of subsurface melting caused by the penetration of solar radiation. This new texture impeded the further downward flow of meltwater at fine-to-coarse transitions, leading to the formation of low-permeability melt-freeze crusts following multiple meltfreeze cycles. In this work, a large sub-freezing (-68C) homogeneous sample, consisting of small rounded grains, was periodically exposed to intense radiation generated by a sun simulator. Due to the penetration of shortwave radiation into the snow, subsurface melting caused the growth of melt-freeze polycrystals from clustered rounded crystals. Variations in mass growth (%) of melt-freeze polycrystals and mass loss (%) of grain clusters were studied within the sub-freezing snow with respect to different melt-freeze cycles. In this work, we study the growth of melt-freeze polycrystals in the top and bottom sub-layers with respect to collective saturation. Saturation profiles from the snow were recorded with a parallel-probe saturation profiler (PPSP) device, sampling at vertical intervals of 7 mm, after each melting cycle. Intrinsic permeabilities across different stratified sub-layers were monitored in relation to saturation as a function of different melt-freeze cycles. Our observations revealed that there is a significant decrease in intrinsic permeability for the first few top sub-layers. Also, permeability in the second topmost sub-layer was less than that in the topmost sub-layer directly interacting with the radiation. These results support the evolution of a new coarse grain texture within the homogeneous snow that subsequently converts into a layer of low permeability. In the various transects of the snow sample, two melt-freeze crusts and one ice crust were manually identified through stratigraphic mapping. A correlation was also established between the saturation spikes recorded with the help of the PPSP and corresponding depth positions of the crusts.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Growth of melt–freeze clusters and formation of impeding layers to water flow in snow irradiated by a sun simulator under controlled laboratory conditions

Kapil¹,

Prasher²,

Datt³

et al. 2010

Ann. Glaciol.

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“…For precise measurement of the water saturation at different depths in the snowpack, we used a PPSP device developed by Kapil and others (2009), a largely non-destructive method for measuring water saturation. Figure 3 shows the PPSP mounted over the snow cover at Patsio.…”

Section: Experimental Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the present work, evolutions of ice crusts within a snowpack at Patsio are studied during the mid-winters of 2008 and 2009. To collect vertical profiles of water saturation within the snowpack, we used a parallel-probe saturation profiler (PPSP) device, developed by Kapil and others (2009). The effects of diurnal freeze-thaw processes on the evolution of the crusts are studied using the saturation profiles, as well as the manually observed snow stratigraphy.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Measurements of mid-winter spatial distribution of meltwater saturation

2010

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ABSTRACT. Under melt-freeze conditions crusts may evolve within a snowpack, which may favour avalanche initiation by forming a hard bed surface for weakly bonded faceted grains. We used a parallelprobe saturation profiler (PPSP) to record the distribution of water contents within the snowpack. Diurnal effects of melt-freeze action on the growth of crusts were monitored with the help of the PPSP device. Saturation profiles were collected from a partially wet snow cover. Snow stratigraphy was conducted manually in the morning, after overnight freezing, to identify the location and the granular compositions of the crusts that had evolved. A one-to-one correspondence between the saturation spikes collected using the PPSP and the actual positions of the crusts was established. The PPSP was also used to monitor three-dimensional variations in the maximum percolation depths within a south-facing snowpack. The operation of the PPSP is faster than existing dielectric measurement techniques, so it was applied to study the spatial variability of maximum percolation depths on the slopes of different aspects.

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“…The main measuring methods include the dielectric permittivity method (Schneebeii & Coléou 1998), the calorimeters method (Howell 1983) and the parallel-probe saturation profiler (Kapil et al 2009). Remote sensing technology approaches have enabled the measuring of snow water content in the superficial layer across a large area (Dozier & Painter 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial and temporal distribution of snow water content and response to air temperature in seasonal snow in the western Tianshan Mountains, China

Han

Wang²,

Liu

et al. 2012

Hydrology Research

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The snow water coiitent was measured wifh a portable instrument (Snow Fori<) in tine Tianshan Station for Snow-cover and Avaianche, Chinese Academy of Sciences (TS) during the snow period in fhe winter of 2009-2010. The results indicated that the variation of snow wafer content increases exponentiaiiy over time. In the accumulation-stable period, the migration of liquid water is from the bottom to the surface of the snow profiie. in the snowmelt period, the migration direction is reversed, in the transition period, both directions of transfer exist simultaneously. There are three different types of response to air temperature: (a) when the average femperature is below -7 c, the snow water content has a best fit with fhe accumulated air temperature with a simple linear function; (b) when the average temperature is between -7 and -1 C, the snow water content has a best fit with the average air temperature, with an exponential function; and (c) when the average air temperature is higher than -1 C, the snow water content has a best fit with the maximum air temperafure, with an exponentiai function.

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A parallel-probe saturation profiler: a new technique for fast profiling of meltwater saturation in a seasonal snowpack

Cited by 6 publications

References 32 publications

Growth of melt–freeze clusters and formation of impeding layers to water flow in snow irradiated by a sun simulator under controlled laboratory conditions

Growth of melt–freeze clusters and formation of impeding layers to water flow in snow irradiated by a sun simulator under controlled laboratory conditions

Measurements of mid-winter spatial distribution of meltwater saturation

Spatial and temporal distribution of snow water content and response to air temperature in seasonal snow in the western Tianshan Mountains, China

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