Aeolian susceptibility maps: methodology and applications

Abstract

In this paper we present a new methodology for the study of drifting-snow phenomena at an Alpine site This method emphasizes the accurate determination of local wind directions and the distribution of snow denudation and accumulation zones through the observation, measurement and mapping of aeolian “snowforms” and drifts. The aim is to find out whether the local wind directions on extensive surfaces in mountain areas (of about a few km2) are independent of the main wind intensity and direction, and whether valid erosion and accumulation zones are spatially stable and can be established for dominant winds. The methodology proposed to study the spatial distribution of snow by the wind has been used in the redesign of an old ski slope at La Molina, a resort in the eastern Spanish Pyrenees. Results have been very useful for deciding the design of the slopes. Therefore, we believe that the prediction of spatial snow distribution by wind in mountain areas, without the need for expensive instruments, has a valuable part to play in the management of mountain and ski resorts and roads, and in avalanche forecasting.

Snowdrift Landscape Patterns: An Arctic Investigation

“…Given their size, their recurrence, and the fact that the Arctic winter lasts 8-10 months of the year, drifts are an essential component of the Arctic landscape, geomorphic features important in their own right. A similar view can be taken for the Rocky Mountains (Erickson et al, 2005;Hiemstra et al, 2006;Winstral et al, 2002), the Sierra Nevada (Kirchner et al, 2014), the American and Canadian prairies (Lapen & Martz, 1996), and the high basins of the European Alps (Föhn & Meister, 1983;Schmidt, 2009) and Pyrenees (Font et al, 2001;Mases et al, 1998;Revuelto et al, 2014), where similarly large drifts form each winter and are long-lasting landscape features. These geographies demonstrate that drifts, while they may vary with climate, landscape, and snow class, are important features in nearly every snow-covered environment.…”

Snowdrift Landscape Patterns: An Arctic Investigation

“…Given their size, their recurrence, and the fact that the Arctic winter lasts 8–10 months of the year, drifts are an essential component of the Arctic landscape, geomorphic features important in their own right. A similar view can be taken for the Rocky Mountains (Erickson et al, 2005; Hiemstra et al, 2006; Winstral et al, 2002), the Sierra Nevada (Kirchner et al, 2014), the American and Canadian prairies (Lapen & Martz, 1996), and the high basins of the European Alps (Föhn & Meister, 1983; Schmidt, 2009) and Pyrenees (Font et al, 2001; Mases et al, 1998; Revuelto et al, 2014), where similarly large drifts form each winter and are long‐lasting landscape features. These geographies demonstrate that drifts, while they may vary with climate, landscape, and snow class, are important features in nearly every snow‐covered environment.…”