Converting snow depth to snow water equivalent using climatological variables

Hill, David F.; Burakowski, Elizabeth A.; Crumley, Ryan; Keon, Julia; Hu, J. Michelle; Arendt, A. A.; Jones, Katreen Wikstrom; Wolken, G. J.

doi:10.5194/tc-13-1767-2019

Cited by 52 publications

(72 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…These influences are avoided by placing the CRS on an ice surface such as a polar ice sheet or a mountain glacier. In the recent study by Howat et al (2018), the CRS was deployed below the snowpack on the Greenland Ice Sheet. With almost 24 months of measurements, they find an instrument precision of approximately 0.7 % and a good agreement with manual measurements.…”

Section: Cosmic Ray Sensormentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The empirical parameters min , max , a 1 , a 2 and a 3 (Table 4) were provided by the manufacturer for use on glaciers and were also used by Howat et al (2018). Note that the parameters min and max are respectively the asymptotic values of the effective attenuation lengths for low and high SWE values and that the parameters a 1 , a 2 and a 3 define the curvature of a sigmoidal function.…”

Section: Calculating Swe From Neutron Countsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…More importantly, the correction of the raw neutron count rate with solar activity and air pressure may influence the results. The applied correction functions have been previously used for SWE (e.g., Howat et al, 2018) or soil moisture studies (e.g., Zreda et al, 2012;Andreasen et al, 2017). In contrast to previous studies of aboveground CRS, changes in atmospheric moisture are not taken into consideration.…”

Section: Crs Performance and Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In contrast to previous studies of aboveground CRS, changes in atmospheric moisture are not taken into consideration. We assume that for the sub-snow CRS, fast neutrons are produced within the snowpack rather than in the atmosphere, an assumption also made in Howat et al (2018) and implicitly made by preceding authors in their studies (e.g., Kodama et al, 1979;Paquet and Laval, 2005;Gottardi et al, 2013). Another source of uncertainty is the semiempirical fit that has been used in this study.…”

Section: Crs Performance and Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Continuous and autonomous snow water equivalent measurements by a cosmic ray sensor on an alpine glacier

et al. 2019

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Abstract. Snow water equivalent (SWE) measurements of seasonal snowpack are crucial in many research fields. Yet accurate measurements at a high temporal resolution are difficult to obtain in high mountain regions. With a cosmic ray sensor (CRS), SWE can be inferred from neutron counts. We present the analyses of temporally continuous SWE measurements by a CRS on an alpine glacier in Switzerland (Glacier de la Plaine Morte) over two winter seasons (2016/17 and 2017/18), which differed markedly in the amount and timing of snow accumulation. By combining SWE with snow depth measurements, we calculate the daily mean density of the snowpack. Compared to manual field observations from snow pits, the autonomous measurements overestimate SWE by +2 % ± 13 %. Snow depth and the bulk snow density deviate from the manual measurements by ±6 % and ±9 %, respectively. The CRS measured with high reliability over two winter seasons and is thus considered a promising method to observe SWE at remote alpine sites. We use the daily observations to classify winter season days into those dominated by accumulation (solid precipitation, snow drift), ablation (snow drift, snowmelt) or snow densification. For each of these process-dominated days the prevailing meteorological conditions are distinct. The continuous SWE measurements were also used to define a scaling factor for precipitation amounts from nearby meteorological stations. With this analysis, we show that a best-possible constant scaling factor results in cumulative precipitation amounts that differ by a mean absolute error of less than 80 mm w.e. from snow accumulation at this site.

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Section: Cosmic Ray Sensormentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Calculating Swe From Neutron Countsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Crs Performance and Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Crs Performance and Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Continuous and autonomous snow water equivalent measurements by a cosmic ray sensor on an alpine glacier

et al. 2019

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“…Seasonal snow accumulation on glaciers plays an important role as the input for mass and energy balance, as well as in controlling the thermal state of glaciers. The information on snowpack parameters is also decisive for forecasting of snowmelt runoff [1] and avalanche activity [2] in snow-covered mountainous areas. Furthermore, local meteorological [3] and topographical [4] conditions control distribution of snow accumulation and spatial variability in snowpack parameters, for example and hence considers the local topography variation as required in the mountainous regions [13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Retrieval of Spatial and Temporal Variability in Snowpack Depth over Glaciers in Svalbard Using GPR and Spaceborne POLSAR Measurements

Singh

Lavrentiev

Glazovsky

et al. 2019

Water

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The highly dynamic nature of snow requires frequent observations to study its various properties. Keeping this in mind, the present investigation presents results from the analysis of fully polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (POLSAR) parameters for the development of A snow depth (SD) inversion model for SD retrieval. Snow depth retrieved using ground penetrating radar (GPR) at 500 MHz over Austre Grønfjordbreen in the Svalbard region was used to understand the behaviour of certain polarimetric parameters. A significant correlation was found between field-measured SD and POLSAR parameters, namely coherence and normalized volume scattering power (R 2 = 0.84 and R 2 = 0.73, respectively.) Using the POLSAR scattering powers obtained from the six-component model-based decomposition (6SD), the heterogeneity and anisotropic behaviour in the firn areas are also explained. Further, based on the analyses shown in this work, A polarimetric parameter-based SD inversion algorithm have been proposed and validated. The univariate model with co-polarization coherence has the highest correlation (R 2 = 0.84, Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) = 0.18). We have even tested several multivariate models for the same, to conclude that A combination of coherence, normalized volume and double-bounce scattering have A high correlation with SD (R 2 = 0.84, RMSE = 0.18). Additionally, temporal and spatial variability in SD was also observed from three polarimetric SAR images acquired between 4 April 2015 and 15 May 2015 over the Western Nordenskiöld Land region. Increase in snow depth corresponding to snow precipitation events were also detected using the POLSAR data.Water 2020, 12, 21 2 of 23 depth and density. However, field-based single-point measurements of snow depth may not be A representative of the entire distribution of snowpack accumulation over A large area. Previous investigations [5-7] over Svalbard have indicated that deposition of snow on the glaciers in the region is highly diverse in space due to varying topoclimatological conditions. Snow deposition increases with elevation, but it is also observed that this altitudinal trend is highly variable due to the drifting wind and other local topoclimatological factors in Svalbard. Recent investigations [8][9][10][11][12] suggest that the altitudinal gradient of snow accumulation has decreased, and the average snow thickness on the Austre Grønfjordbreen has increased by 17 cm compared to average snow thickness in 1979. Spatial variability has also increased over the region. Hence, continuous monitoring of the spatial and temporal variability of snow cover depth is the need of the hour, which can be used to understand the state of the glacier and the changes and processes taking place in it.An alternative method to field-based manual measurements of snow depth is A ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey. This survey is an optimal technique to provide A spatial profile over large areas for understanding snow depth variability [8,9]. Apart from the spatial variability, snow accumulatio...

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Pronounced increase in slope instability linked to global warming: A case study from the eastern European Alps

Savi

Comiti

Strecker

2021

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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In recent decades, slope instability in high‐mountain regions has often been linked to increase in temperature and the associated permafrost degradation and/or the increase in frequency/intensity of rainstorm events. In this context we analyzed the spatiotemporal evolution and potential controlling mechanisms of small‐ to medium‐sized mass movements in a high‐elevation catchment of the Italian Alps (Sulden/Solda basin). We found that slope‐failure events (mostly in the form of rockfalls) have increased since the 2000s, whereas the occurrence of debris flows has increased only since 2010. The current climate‐warming trend registered in the study area apparently increases the elevation of rockfall‐detachment areas by approximately 300 m, mostly controlled by the combined effects of frost‐cracking and permafrost thawing. In contrast, the occurrence of debris flows does not exhibit such an altitudinal shift, as it is primarily driven by extreme precipitation events exceeding the 75th percentile of the intensity‐duration rainfall distribution. Potential debris‐flow events in this environment may additionally be influenced by the accumulation of unconsolidated debris over time, which is then released during extreme rainfall events. Overall, there is evidence that the upper Sulden/Solda basin (above ca. 2500 m above sea level [a.s.l.]), and especially the areas in the proximity of glaciers, have experienced a significant decrease in slope stability since the 2000s, and that an increase in rockfalls and debris flows during spring and summer can be inferred. Our study thus confirms that “forward‐looking” hazard mapping should be undertaken in these increasingly frequented, high‐elevation areas of the Alps, as environmental change has elevated the overall hazard level in these regions.

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Converting snow depth to snow water equivalent using climatological variables

Cited by 52 publications

References 40 publications

Continuous and autonomous snow water equivalent measurements by a cosmic ray sensor on an alpine glacier

Continuous and autonomous snow water equivalent measurements by a cosmic ray sensor on an alpine glacier

Retrieval of Spatial and Temporal Variability in Snowpack Depth over Glaciers in Svalbard Using GPR and Spaceborne POLSAR Measurements

Pronounced increase in slope instability linked to global warming: A case study from the eastern European Alps

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