Because of the high sensitivity of the climate system to anomalies of the snow cover, appropriate models of the latter are required. In this paper a one-dimensional multilayer model of a snow cover is presented combining relatively accurate model physics with minimal computer time. The model is based on the balance of mass and energy, including the important internal processes such as the diffusion of temperature and water vapor, melting and freezing, the extinction of short wave radiation, and the retention of liquid water. In order to keep the possibility of using the model on a global scale, no local parameterizations are employed. An efficient numerical scheme makes the model suitable for long-term climate studies. Integrations for Potsdam (52øN, 13øE) with standard synoptic measurements over a period of six winters demonstrate good correspondence between the model results and the observed values. The most serious problem remaining is the choice of a satisfactory criterion to distinguish between snowfall and rain which strongly affects the simulation of snow depth and water equivalent. In addition, snow on sea ice, causing a net cooling of air and keeping the sea ice warm and thin, affects the climate at high latitudes [Ledley, 1991]. On the other hand, variations of the snow cover might indicate climate changes due to the ability to integrate atmospheric disturbances [Flohn, 1974].In comparison with the bare soil, various physical parameters are significantly altered by a snow cover. The surface albedo rises suddenly from 10 to 25% to values of 75 to 90% for freshly fallen snow, reducing the short wave radiation absorbed by the surface. Further, the turbulent heat fluxes are modified due to a rapid decrease of the roughness length. Typical mean values over snow, given, e.g., by Stull [1988], Garratt [1992], and K6nig [1985], vary between 10 -3 m over snow-covered farmland, 10 -4 m for the Antarctic region, and 10 -5 m over snow-covered flat or rolling ground.Due to the altered albedo the net radiation and, consequently, the surface temperature are reduced, leading to a smaller amount of outgoing long wave radiation, an increased sensible heat flux into the snow, and causing a cooling of the overlying lower atmosphere. The small thermal conductivity of snow additionally prevents an efficient heat conduction from the underlying snow layers and the soil. In spring the increase of the air and soil temperature is delayed, as compared with snow-free areas, since energy is used for the melting of snow. In the case of nonfrozen soil Copyright 1993 by the American Geophysical Union.
Paper number 93JD00324.0148-0227/93/93 JD-00324505.00 the soil temperature is decreased both directly and by inducing evaporation when melting water penetrates into the soil. The higher amount of soil moisture may contribute to cloud formation and, therefore, have another effect on the air temperature.The snow cover, however, is undergoing internal changes due to aging processes. The typical "life cycle" of a snow cover is shown in Figur...