Relationship between the saltation layer structure of drifting snow and meteorological and snow surface conditions

Sato, Takeshi; Higashiura, Masao

doi:10.5331/seppyo.65.197

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Recent wind-tunnel experiments on the saltation layer of drifting snow have revealed that its vertical structure changes with snow hardness (Sato and others, 2001), which may be ascribed to the conditions of the splash process at the snow surface. Sato and Higashiura (2003) also found in the field that the properties of the saltation layer change with snow hardness. These findings suggest that drifting snow may develop along the fetch, in accordance with observations of drifting snow by Kobayashi (1972) and Takeuchi (1980).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Development of saltation layer of drifting snow

2004

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ABSTRACT. The saltation length of aeolian snow particles and a new parameter, the ejection factor, which expresses the degree of erosion due to drifting snow, were obtained as functions of friction velocity by means of wind-tunnel experiments for semi-hard snow cover. The saturated-snowdrift transport rate was also obtained experimentally as a function of friction velocity. Based on these characteristics and the parameter, the development of the saltation layer of drifting snow along the fetch was simulated under various conditions such as snow hardness, wind speed and snowfall intensity. The main results are as follows. The developing distance denoting the distance required for the saltation layer to attain saturation, X sat , is determined by saltation length, ejection factor and saturatedsnowdrift transport rate, all of which depend on wind speed. It is also affected by the magnitude of snowdrift transport rate at the starting point and by the intensity of snowfall if it exists. The dependence of X sat on wind speed is not simple in the case of semi-hard snow cover: X sat increases with wind speed under weak to moderate wind conditions and then decreases under moderate to strong wind conditions. It is sensitive to snow hardness: it is about one order longer on hard snow cover than on semi-hard snow cover. Snowfall reduces not only the value of X sat but also its dependence on snow hardness.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 92%