bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Observations on sea-ice and surface-water geochemistry–implications for importance of sea ice in geochemical cycles in the northern Baltic Sea
Authors: Granskog M. A. , Virkanen J.
Published: November 2007

Sea-ice and surface-water samples collected in January-April 1999 in coastal areas in the northern Baltic Sea were analyzed for particle, nutrient and trace-element concentrations and salinity. Stratigraphic analyses of ice cores were also carried out. Bulk nutrient and trace-element concentrations in sea ice fluctuated widely. Nutrient concentrations in sea ice normalized to sea-water salinities showed that sea ice had, almost without exception, an excess of nutrients compared to underlying waters. For phosphorus and phosphate this can be explained by particle incorporation and snow-ice formation, whereas for nitrogen and the sum of nitrite and nitrate snow-ice formation and other mechanisms are important. The levels of Al, Cu, Fe and Ni in the ice were similar to those observed in underlying waters. Pb was observed in detectable concentrations in the ice only. This indicates that sea ice contributes lead to underlying waters during melting, and in some degree also affects the other elements. Furthermore, the observations indicate that incorporation of lead into the ice cover is governed by different processes than for the other elements studied.
Snow-ice accretion and snow-cover depletion on Antarctic first-year sea-ice floes
Authors: Jeffries Martin O. , Krouse H. Roy , Hurst-Cushing Barbara , Maksym Ted
Published: November 2007

Between austral late winter 1993 and austral autumn 1998, during five cruises aboard the research vessel Nathaniel B. Palmer, almost 300 m of core was obtained from first-year ice floes in the Ross, Amundsen and Bellingshausen Seas. Analysis of the texture, stratigraphy and stable-isotopic composition of the ice was used to assess the magnitude of the role of flooding and snow-ice formation at the base of the snowpack in the thickening of the ice cover and the thinning of the snow cover. Snow ice occurred in all ice-thickness categories and made a significant contribution to the total ice mass (12−36%) in both autumn and winter. Although the amount of snow ice was often exceeded by the amount of frazil ice and congelation ice, the thickness of individual layers of each ice type indicated that snow ice often made a greater contribution to the thermodynamic thickening of the ice cover than the other ice types. The larger quantities of frazil ice and congelation ice were primarily the result of dynamic thickening. Flooding and snow-ice formation reduced the snow cover to 42−70% of the total snow accumulation depending on time and location. On the basis of this information, ship-based snow-depth estimates were adjusted to estimate the total snow accumulation on different ice-thickness categories.
Indirect measurements of the mass balance of summer Arctic sea ice with an electromagnetic induction technique
Authors: Eicken H. , Tucker W. B. , Perovich D. K.
Published: November 2007

In the framework of the Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic (SHEBA) study, indirect, non-invasive ice mass-balance measurements were carried out at a drifting station in the northern Chukchi Sea between May and August 1998. Ice thickness was derived from electromagnetic induction (EM) measurements of apparent conductivity along 13 profiles (60−900 m long). As shown through sensitivity studies with a one-dimensional model, the apparent conductivity data from individual points can be inverted to yield estimates of ice thickness and ablation with an accuracy of approximately 0.05 m (for 2 m thick level ice). Ablation rates were 8−18 mm d−1, with total ablation amounting to roughly 0.9−1.2 m. Measurements of thickness and melt rates along different profiles in undeformed multi-year ice corresponded closely, indicating that the sampling statistics are adequate. The roughness of undeformed ice has been found to increase during the summer due to deepening of melt ponds and enhanced bottom melt. Ice under melt ponds was disproportionately thinner, most likely a result of thicker snow cover reducing winter accretion.
Interannual variability of the Storfjorden (Svalbard) ice cover and ice production observed by ERS-2 SAR
Authors: Haarpaintner Jörg , Haugan Peter M. , Gascard Jean-Claude
Published: November 2007

The Storfjorden (Svalbard) ice cover has been observed via European remote-sensing satellite (ERS-2) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) over two winters from 1997 to 1999 that showed a high interannual variability in atmospheric forcing. This has resulted in different scenarios in the formation of the ice cover. We reconstruct the ice-cover evolution with a simple ice-drift and polynya model consistent in parameterization for both winters and with ERS-2 SAR and ground-truth observations. The observations showed that, during the rather cold winter of 1997/98, a fast-ice cover developed over the whole northern part of Storfjorden that closed the ice advection through two sounds. A polynya of up to 6000 km2 developed persistently under northerly winds. The mild winter of 1998/99 showed a different pattern in the Storfjorden ice cover: the fast-ice extent was reduced to the coastal region, so ice motion was more important than in the previous winter. A larger thin-ice and open-water area over the whole fjord resulted in lower total ice production, but relocated the strong ice production sites to shallower waters. Thus, freezing in a large region of shallow waters in the north of Storfjorden in 1998/99 produced denser waters than freezing in a smaller polynya over the deeper centre of Storfjorden during the colder winter 1997/98.
The onset of Arctic sea-ice snowmelt as detected with passive- and active-microwave remote sensing
Authors: Forster Richard R. , Long David G. , Jezek Kenneth C. , Drobot Sheldon D. , Anderson Mark R.
Published: November 2007

Daily acquisitions from satellite microwave sensors can be used to observe the spatial and temporal characteristics of the Arctic sea-ice snowmelt onset because the initial presence of liquid water in a dry snowpack causes a dramatic change in the active-and passive-microwave response. A daily sequence of backscatter coefficient images from the NASA scatterometer (NSCAT) clearly shows the spatially continuous progression of decreasing backscatter associated with snowmelt onset across the Arctic Ocean during spring 1997. A time series of the active NSCAT backscatter and a scattering index from the passive Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) show similar trends during the time of the melt onset. An NSCATsnowmelt-onset detection algorithm is developed using the derivative of the backscatter with respect to time to select a melt-onset date for each pixel, generating a melt map for the Arctic sea ice. Comparison between this melt map and one previously generated from an SSM/I scattering index shows the NSCAT algorithm predicts the onset occurs 1−10 days earlier than the SSM/I-based algorithm for most portions of multi-year ice.
Ice formation in the Mertz Glacier polynya, East Antarctica, during winter
Authors: Lytle V. I. , Worby A. P. , Massom R. , Paget M.J. , Allison I. , Wu X. , Roberts A.
Published: November 2007

During August 1999, detailed data were collected in the Mertz Glacier polynya along the coast of Antarctica on the drift of newly forming ice tracked with drifting buoys and the ice thickness in the vicinity of the buoys over time. Using these measurements, we estimate the ice-growth rate and the processes which are important in the early stages of ice formation. We find that although there is rapid frazil formation in the open-water areas near the coast and Mertz Glacier Tongue, this frazil ice can take several days to consolidate. A period of warmer weather, when temperatures reached as high as 0°C, delayed the consolidation of the frazil for > 4.5 days. The undeformed new-ice growth rate averaged about 4 cm d-1 for the first 5 days of formation. Ridging and rafting doubled the total growth rate to an average of 8 cm d-1. Blowing and falling snow was incorporated into the surface of the newly forming ice, with 16 of 22 ice cores having some snow in the top few centimeters.
Evaluation of operational SSM/I ice-concentration algorithms
Authors: Meier Walter N. , Van Woert Michael L. , Bertoia Cheryl
Published: November 2007

The United States National Ice Center (NIC) provides weekly ice analyses of the Arctic and Antarctic using information from ice reconnaissance, ship reports and high-resolution satellite imagery. In cloud-covered areas and regions lacking imagery, the higher-resolution sources are augmented by ice concentrations derived from Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) passive-microwave imagery. However, the SSM/I-derived ice concentrations are limited by low resolution and uncertainties in thin-ice regions. Ongoing research at NIC is attempting to improve the utility of these SSM/I products for operational sea-ice analyses. The refinements of operational algorithms may also aid future scientific studies. Here we discuss an evaluation of the standard operational ice-concentration algorithm, Cal/Val, with a possible alternative, a modified NASA Team algorithm. The modified algorithm compares favorably with Cal/Val and is a substantial improvement over the standard NASA Team algorithm in thin-ice regions that are of particular interest to operational activities.
Sensitivity of the Antarctic sea-ice distribution to oceanic heat flux in a coupled atmosphere-sea-ice model
Authors: Wu Xingren , Budd W. F. , Worby A. P. , Allison Ian
Published: November 2007

A coupled atmosphere-sea-ice model is used to study the sensitivity of the Antarctic sea-ice distribution to oceanic heat flux (OHF). Remote sensing of sea ice from microwave radiometers provides data on ice extent and ice concentration. The ice-thickness data used are from ship-based observations. Our simulations suggest that OHF values of 0−5 W m−2 will cause sea ice to be too thick in the model. A value of 20−25 Wm−2 throughout the year causes sea ice to be too thin in the model. The model results indicate that a seasonally varying OHF is required to match the modelled thickness with observations. Values of 5−30 Wm with an annual mean of 10−15 Wm−2, give a reasonable distribution of sea-ice thickness. This agrees with the limited observations of OHF available for the Antarctic. The model results also indicate that the OHF should be varied spatially. When a seasonally and spatially variable OHF is applied to the coupled atmosphere-sea-ice model a still better simulation of the sea-ice distribution is obtained. Our results also suggest that the role of ice advection is very important in the determination of the sea-ice distribution, and it can be quantified by the model.
Behaviour of dissolved organic matter and inorganic nutrients during experimental sea-ice formation
Authors: Giannelli Virginia , Thomas David N. , Haas Christian , Kattner Gerhard , Kennedy Hilary , Dieckmann Gerhard S.
Published: November 2007

It is well established that during sea-ice formation, crystals aggregate into a solid matrix, and dissolved sea-water constituents, including inorganic nutrients, are rejected from the ice matrix. However, the behaviour of dissolved organic matter (DOM) during ice formation and growth has not been studied to date. DOM is the primary energetic substrate for microbial heterotrophic activity in sea water and sea ice, and therefore it is at the base of the trophic fluxes within the microbial food web. The aim of our study was to compare the behaviour of DOM and inorganic nutrients during formation and growth of sea ice. Experiments were conducted in a large indoor ice-tank facility (Hamburg Ship Model Basin, Germany) at −15°C. Three 1 m3 tanks, to which synthetic sea water, nutrients and dissolved organic compounds (diatom-extracted DOM) had been added, were sampled over a period of 5 days during sea-ice formation. Samples were collected throughout the experiment from water underlying the ice, and at the end from the ice as well. Brine was obtained from the ice by centrifuging ice cores. Inorganic nutrients (nitrate and phosphate) were substantially enriched in brine in comparison to water and ice phases, consistent with the processes of ice formation and brine rejection. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was also enriched in brine but was more variable and enriched in comparison to a dilution line. No difference in bacteria numbers was observed between water, ice and brine. No bacteria growth was measured, and this therefore had no influence on the measurable DOC levels. We conclude that the incorporation of dissolved organic compounds in newly forming ice is conservative. However, since the proportions of DOC in the brine were partially higher than those of the inorganic nutrients, concentrating effects of DOC in brine might be different compared to salts.
An observational and modelling analysis of Laptev Sea (Arctic Ocean) ice variations during summer
Authors: Görgen K. , Bareiss J. , Helbig A. , Rinke A. , Dethloff K.
Published: November 2007

In this study we investigate the relationship of the atmospheric circulation and the sea-ice distribution in the Laptev Sea, Arctic Ocean, in the summers 1979−96. Sea-ice data from passive-microwave radiometers, global atmospheric data analyses, cyclone statistics and simulations of the regional climate model HIRHAM4 were analyzed to find out if periods of reduced or increased sea-ice concentrations are linked to synoptic patterns (circulation anomalies, cyclone activity). A canonical correlation analysis between Arctic sea-level pressure and sea-ice concentration anomalies confirms large-scale relationships among these variables. We did not find a simple relationship between sea-ice area anomalies and cyclone activity in the Laptev Sea area
Observation of sea-ice thickness fluctuation in the seasonal ice-covered area during 1992−99 winters
Authors: Tateyama Kazutaka , Enomoto Hiroyuki
Published: November 2007

Sea-ice fluctuations in the Sea of Okhotsk and the Bering Sea during the winters of 1992−99 were investigated by using the Special Sensor Microwave/ Imager dataset and a new ice-property retrieval algorithm This algorithm can distinguish between ice types such as fast ice floes, young ice and new ice, in an area covered by concentrations of >80% ice, and also has improved display resolution because it uses one of the 85 GHz channels. The ice thicknesses derived from the ice-thickness parameter of the new algorithm were compared with ship-based ice-thickness measurements, and were assumed to be 1−10, 11−34, 35−85 and 86−120 cm for new ice, young ice, floes (first-year ice) and fast ice, respectively. The results showed that ice volume can be small even if the ice area is large, due to thinness of the ice (e.g. in 1999 in the Sea of Okhotsk). A significant out-of-phase response, i.e. ice volume is larger in the Sea of Okhotsk when ice volume is smaller in the Bering Sea, was observed. The period of this see-saw showed two different time-scales, which were short (1 week) and long (2−4 weeks).
Principal-component analysis of sea-ice motion from satellite data
Authors: Zhao Yunhe , Liu Antony K.
Published: November 2007

The two-dimensional wavelet transform is a highly efficient band-pass filter, which can be used to track features in satellite images from sequential paths. Wavelet analysis of NASA scatterometer and Special Sensor Microwave/Imager data has been used to obtain daily sea-ice drift information for the Arctic region. Comparison with ice motion derived from ocean buoys shows good quantitive agreement. Furthermore, the scatterometer results definitely complement passive-microwave radiometer results when there are cloud or surface effects. This outcome allows three sets of sea-ice-drift daily results from scatterometer, radiometer and buoy data to be merged as a composite map by data-fusion techniques. Based on the composite maps, the ice-flow streamlines are highly correlated with surface air-pressure contours. In order to quantify the wind effects on ice motion, empirical orthogonal functions are used in the principal-component analysis to isolate generalized patterns inherent in 6 months (fall/winter) of daily sea-ice motion data. It is found that 30% of sea-ice motion is highly correlated with 50% of the pressure field in modes 1 and 2. For the higher modes, sea-ice motion is also affected by ocean current, bathymetry and coastal boundary and therefore is not highly correlated with the wind field.
A case-study in tracking 1998 polynya ice dynamics in Smith Sound, North Water polynya region, Canadian Arctic, using RADARSAT-1 data
Authors: Wilson K. J. , King D. J. , Barber D. G.
Published: November 2007

Monitoring ice motion provides insight into the relative contributions of atmospheric and oceanic forcing to polynya dynamics In this study ice kinematics in the North Water (NOW) region, northern Baffin Bay Canadian Arctic are determined using time-sequential RADARSAT-1 ScanSARWide imagery (from the period January-December 1998), processed by the automated ice-tracking algorithm (Tracker) currently used at the Canadian Ice Service (CIS). A case-study is then carried out on the Smith Sound region from January till the end of june 1998 to monitor polynya formation, maintenance and disintegration. This has two objectives: (1) to evaluate satellite ice-motion products as a means of better understanding the relative contributions of latent- and sensible-heat mechanisms responsible for the formation and behaviour of the NOW polynya, and (2) to study the influence of winds on regional sea-ice motion. Derived ice-motion maps were validated using in situ ice beacons deployed onto floes in the NOW region during the 1998 ship-based science experiment. Tracker-derived displacement and directional regressions were 0.93 and 0.79, respectively, with a total standard error of 3.6 km in magnitude and 38.8° in direction. Analysis of monthly mean ice-motion maps shows that a significant export of ice occurs from the polynya. A comparison of weekly-averaged ice motion with the mean wind-field data suggests that ice export in Smith Sound is influenced by synoptic-scale atmospheric pressure systems.
Estimation of sea-ice physical parameters using polarimetric SAR: results from Okhotsk and Lake Saroma campaign
Authors: Wakabayashi Hiroyuki , Matsuoka Takeshi , Nakamura Kazuki , Nishio Fumihiko
Published: November 2007

We have acquired ground-truth data at Lake Saroma, northeast Hokkaido, Japan, and the surrounding area since 1993 in order to collect data on regional sea ice in the Sea of Okhotsk. The data were acquired in 1999 by polarimetric and interferometric SAR (Pi-SAR), the dual-frequency, fully polarimetric airborne SAR system jointly developed by the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) and the Communications Research Laboratory (CRL), simultaneously with ground experiments. This paper describes the results of polarimetric data analysis of typical sea ice observed in the offshore region near Lake Saroma. The polarimetric parameters used were correlation coefficient and phase difference. Based on the analysis of these parameters, we found that the correlation coefficient between RR and LL polarizations can discriminate four categories including three types of ice and open water.
Phase and compositional evolution of the flooded layer during snow-ice formation on Antarctic sea ice
Authors: Maksym Ted , Jeffries Martin O.
Published: November 2007

A two-dimensional convective transport model has been been developed to investigate the phase and compositional evolution of a flooded slush layer overlying sea ice. The processes governing the solutal and compositional evolution of the flooded layer are investigated in an attempt to explain field observations of salinity and oxygen isotope ratios. Simulations indicate fairly vigorous convective transport in the slush layer, which may lead to the formation of porous channels, depending on permeability. It is found that the salinity and δ18O composition of the freezing slush layer is determined primarily by the sea-ice permeability. Simulated salinity and δ18O profiles produce varied results, though consistent with observations. The influence of the slush on the salinity and δ18O composition of the underlying ice was found to be minimal.
Ice-floe kinematics in the Ross Sea marginal ice zone using GPS and accelerometers
Authors: Downer Josh , Haskell Timothy G.
Published: November 2007

An experiment to investigate wave-induced floe response and floe-floe interactions was conducted in the Ross Sea marginal ice zone during austral summer 1999. Three types of sensors were used: global positioning system (GPS) receivers; triaxial accelerometers; and compasses. The accelerometer data reveal consistent bands of energy centred at about 0.1 and 1.35 Hz, the latter an unexplained but common feature of such experiments. The GPS data also contain energy near 0.1 Hz, which may suggest that GPS receivers can detect the ocean-wave-induced lateral motion of ice floes.
On large-scale shifts in the Arctic Ocean and sea-ice conditions during 1979−98
Authors: Maslowski W. , Marble D. C. , Walczowski W. , Semtner A. J.
Published: November 2007

Results from a regional model of the Arctic Ocean and sea ice forced with realistic atmospheric data are analyzed to understand recent climate variability in the region. The primary simulation uses daily-averaged 1979 atmospheric fields repeated for 20 years and then continues with interannual forcing derived from the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts for 1979−98. An eastward shift in the ice-ocean circulation, fresh-water distribution and Atlantic Water extent has been determined by comparing conditions between the early 1980s and 1990s. A new trend is modeled in the late 1990s, and has a tendency to return the large-scale sea-ice and upper ocean conditions to their state in the early 1980s. Both the sea-ice and the upper ocean circulation as well as fresh-water export from the Russian shelves and Atlantic Water recirculation within the Eurasian Basin indicate that the Arctic climate is undergoing another shift. This suggests an oscillatory behavior of the Arctic Ocean system. Interannual atmospheric variability appears to be the main and sufficient driver of simulated changes. The ice cover acts as an effective dynamic medium for vorticity transfer from the atmosphere into the ocean.
Avalanche dynamics measurement by pulsed Doppler radar
Authors: Schreiber Helmut , Randeu Walter L. , Schaffhauser Horst , Rammmer Lambert
Published: November 2007

This paper presents the application of a pulsed Doppler radar for the measurement of dynamic properties of snow and ice avalanches. The instrument was developed and built by the Institute of Communications and Wave Propagation, Technical University Graz, and is operated by the Austrian Institute for Avalanche and Torrent Research (AIATR), Innsbruck. The data acquired by this radar during field campaigns are used to verify and optimize avalanche models and simulation tools. As well as describing the radar’s technical principle, how the dynamic parameters are measured and presented to the user and how these data can be used to accomplish the determination of avalanche velocity and runout distance, the paper deals with the participation of the radar in a successful full-scale snow-avalanche experiment in Ryggfonn, Norway, and evaluates the collected data. This measurement campaign was a joint experiment by the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Oslo, and AIATR.
Numerical simulations of Greenland snowpack and comparison with passive microwave spectral signatures
Authors: Genthon Christophe , Fily Michel , Martin Eric
Published: November 2007

In this paper, we show that a detailed snow model (here, the Crocus model) may help to validate large-scale inferred meteorological datasets (e.g. from climate models or analyses) over the data-sparse ice sheets. Two series of snow simulations are carried out with two different meteorological datasets in input to the snow model. Both datasets are extracted from the European Center for Medium-range Weather Forecasts meteorological analyses and forecast archives. First, the microwave signatures of the surface of central Greenland from the Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR) are compared with the simulated density, grain-size and stratigraphy. The annual mean gradient ratio and polarization ratio, which are related to the emissivity of snow, are found to correlate spatially with these snow structural parameters. The sensitivity of the snow structure to differences in the two meteorological sets is then examined. It is found to be high for temperature and infrared radiation, precipitation and surface wind. The quantitative value of this result is limited by a still limited snow model validation over Greenland. Also, an optimal use of satellite data and a snow model for meteorological validation would require physically based translation of the simulated snow parameters into radiative properties, i. e radiation transfer modeling.
Mass-flux measurements in a cold wind tunnel: comparison of the mechanical traps with a snow-particle counter
Authors: Font D. , Sato T. , Kosugi K. , Sato A. , Vilaplana J. M.
Published: November 2007

During September and October 1997, in the framework of a stay at the Shinjo Branch of Snow and Ice Studies, we used a Cryospheric Environment Simulator (Higashiura and others, 1997) and simulated drifting snow to test four mechanical traps. First we present the intercomparison of the four mechanical gauges, then we compare the gauges with the snow-particle counter (SPG). Comparing the four different traps tested, we have observed that the box type (snow collector) is generally more efficient than the net-type collectors. These results confirm the tendency observed in field experiments (Font and others, 1998b). Using the SPG to calibrate the mechanical gauges, we observed that the net-type traps underestimate transport in low-transport conditions, but as transport increases the underestimation tends to zero. Comparing the snow collector with the SPG, we observed good agreement between the two gauges.
Water vapor in the pore space of snow
Authors: Sokratov Sergey A. , Sato Atsushi , Kamata Yasushi
Published: November 2007

Water vapor in snow is responsible for two main processes connected to almost all studies where snow cover is involved: the snow-density change with time and snow recrystallization. Both processes are the result of a balance between evaporation and condensation on individual snow-crystal surfaces. However, such micro-scale mass balance has rarely been considered as a component of “macro-” heat and mass transfer in snow cover. The present work is an attempt to find a way of combining these two mass-exchange processes, as occurs in Nature. Density change and snow recrystallization rates are analyzed based on recently published temperature field observations around individual snow crystals, combined with experimental data on temperature distributions and recrystallization rates in snow under applied temperature gradients.
SAFRAN-Crocus snow simulations in an unstable and windy climate
Authors: Haraldsdóttir Svanbjörg Helga , Ólafsson Haraldur , Durand Yves , Mérindol Laurent , Giraud Gérald
Published: November 2007

SAFRAN and Crocus are simulation systems developed at the Centre d’Etudes de la Neige, the snow research department of Météo-France. SAFRAN analyzes weather parameters relevant to snow on the ground, and Crocus simulates the build-up of the snowpack. In this study simulated snow depths and measured snow depths at three locations in Iceland were compared. The main study was performed for the Hveravellir weather station located 640 m a.s.l. in central Iceland. The results from three winters, 1994–97, were analyzed. In Iceland the “Alpine” version of the models systematically underestimated the snow depth and density of the snowpack. Corrections for the effect of wind on snow density and on precipitation measurements led to significant improvements in simulated snow depths. The simulations are sensitive to the threshold temperature between snow and rain. The remaining problems in simulating the snowpack are mainly related to transport of snow by wind, which is not accounted for in the models, and to some extent to melting and sublimation in strong winds.
Heavy rain on snow cover
Authors: Kohl B. , Fuchs M. , Markart G. , Patzelt G.
Published: November 2007

Heavy rain on snow often leads to disastrous damages in torrent watersheds. In January 1998 a project was started to investigate “runoff and infiltration characteristics of different alpine soil/vegetation units under snow cover”. One aim was to determine the runoff rates from snow-covered, differently cultivated soil/vegetation units (pastures, dwarf-shrub stands, forests), especially under conditions of sparse snow cover and frozen soil. Differences in runoff formation between artificially snowed skiing areas and plots with natural snow cover were also of interest. Heavy rain (intensity 100 mm h–1) was simulated on four plots by using a transportable spray irrigation installation. The investigations showed runoff coefficients of 0.4–0.7. The lowest runoff values were found where the soil under snow cover was not frozen, but even on these stands the runoff coefficient exceeded 0.4. Snow depth and runoff delay are strongly correlated (R2 = 0.8). An increment in snow of 10 cm is followed by a runoff delay of 3.6 min. Divergences from this coherence are due to the composition of the snowpack, especially in case of artificial snow. This result is encouraged by runoff simulations performed for the irrigated plots by use of a hydrological model.
Rheological measurements of the viscoelastic properties of snow
Authors: Camponovo Christian , Schweizer Jürg
Published: November 2007

In order to determine the viscoelastic properties of snow, torsional shear measurements were performed in a cold laboratory with a stress-controlled rheometer. Small samples (60 mm in diameter and about 7 mm thick of natural snow collected from the nearby study plot were loaded in simple shear with monotonically increasing stress (stress ramp) and with sinusoidally varying stress (oscillation). The dynamic measuring method allows the deformation process to be separated into a time-independent part (elastic) and a time-dependent part (viscous). The applied torque is sufficiently small to prevent destructive deformation, generally permitting the true viscoelastic properties of a sample to be obtained over a large range of frequency and temperature. The limit strain for linear viscoelastic deformation was found to be very small (0.5−5 × 10−4). Experiments performed beyond the linear range imply important textural changes (damage, breaking of bonds). The large strain reached during stress-ramp experiments showed that the ongoing damage process must be balanced by a healing (sintering) process. The usefulness of a rheometer was proven. It is a precise method for measuring with high reproducibility the rheological parameters of snow, and data gained with it improve our understanding of the deformation process under shear loading.
The low-frequency conductivity of snow near the melting temperature
Authors: Takei Iwao , Maeno Norikazu
Published: November 2007

Dielectric measurements of snow were carried out in the temperature range –15° to 0°C and in the frequency range 50 Hz to 5 MHz. The snow samples (about 400 kg m–3 density) used were stored snow (average particle size: 2 mm) and hoar-frost (particle size: <1 to 5 mm). The frequency characteristics of dielectric parameters showed a dielectric dispersion (Davidson-Cole type) around 30 kHz and a low-frequency dielectric dispersion (Cole-Cole circular law type). The a.c. conductivity showed a dielectric dispersion around 30 kHz and two characteristic constant values in the frequency ranges above 1 MHz and below 100 Hz (the high-frequency conductivity σ∞ and the low-frequency conductivity σLOW). The low-frequency conductivity σLOW showed a peak at about –2°C. This behavior has never been noted by previous researchers. The σLOW showed an activation energy of about 1 eV below –5°C. This means that the σLOW is mainly caused by a surface conduction. The activation energy increased with increasing temperature above –5°C. This means that the σLOW in this temperature range is affected by the quasi-liquid layer on ice surfaces. The σLOW above –2°C decreased with increasing temperature. The apparently curious behavior near the melting temperature is attributed to the numerous free ice surfaces within the porous snow. This conclusion was reached because our measurements without the free ice surfaces showed no such conductivity peaks for solid polycrystalline ice samples and for snow samples soaked with kerosene in the cooling process.
A study on the size of snow particles in powder-snow avalanches
Authors: Clément-Rastello Marie
Published: November 2007

In this work, we study the size of the particles involved in a powder-snow avalanche. To determine this value, we study all the phenomena encountered by the particles before they arrive in the “body” of the avalanche. We study the boundary layer which is at the bottom of the avalanche. We determine, with the help of experimental data, the range of sizes of particles that can be entrained by the avalanche. We then examine the possibility of these particles reaching the top of the boundary layer and thus taking part in the avalanche. Our final result is that the typical size of particles suspended in a powder-snow avalanche is < 200 μm.
Impact of a climate change on avalanche hazard
Authors: Martin Eric , Giraud Gérald , Lejeune Yves , Boudart Géraldine
Published: November 2007

The SAFRAN/Crocus/MÉPRA software is used to assess the climatology of the avalanche hazard and its sensitivity to climate change. A natural avalanche-hazard index based on MEPRA analysis is defined and validated against natural avalanche observations (triggered avalanches are not taken into account). A 15 year climatology then allows a comparison of avalanche hazard in the different French massifs. Finally a simple climate scenario (with a general increase of precipitation and temperature) shows that avalanche hazard may decrease slightly in winter (mainly February) and more significantly in May/June. The relative proportion of wet-snow avalanches increases.
Run-up of two avalanches on the deflecting dams at Flateyri, northwestern Iceland
Authors: Jóhannesson Tómas
Published: November 2007

Two deflecting dams were constructed above the village Flateyri, northwestern Iceland, after the catastrophic avalanche accident on 26 October 1995 when 20 people were killed. Both deflectors have since been hit by moderately large avalanches, in each case with a volume of > 100 000 m3 and an estimated return period of 10–30 years. The avalanches hit the deflectors with deflecting angles of 20–25° and a maximum run-up of 12–13 m. They flowed about 500 m along the deflectors after the initial impact and terminated in the ocean on the respective sides of the reef where the village is situated. Back-calculated impact velocities are of the order of 30 m s–1. In both cases, the impact channelized a part of or The whole of the width of the avalanche into a stream 20–80 m wide, the run-out of which is estimated to have been increased by > 100 m by the deflection of the avalanche by the dam. Although the avalanches are much smaller than the design avalanches of the deflecting dams, they have provided avalanche professionals and the public in Iceland with much-welcomed direct evidence of the effectiveness of the defence structures at Flateyri against moderately sized events. They also provide unique direct observations for further scientific investigations of the deflection of avalanches by man-made deflecting dams.
Particle densities, velocities and size distributions in large avalanches from impact-sensor measurements
Authors: Schaer Mark , Issler Dieter
Published: November 2007

In winter 1998/99, high-frequency pressure measurements with 10 cm sensors mounted 1–19 m above ground were carried out in the upper run-out zone of the avalanche test site at Vallée de la Sionne, Switzerland. Two large dry-snow avalanches clearly revealed a three-layered structure, with surprisingly low pressures in the suspension (or powder-snow) layer. The height of the saltation layer varied between 1 and > 3 m. From the duration, impulse and frequency of single-particle impacts (observed in the saltation layer and intermittently in the dense flow),particle-size and velocity distribution functions as well as strongly varying saltation-layer densities were found. With improved methods for peak detection and correction for grazing impacts, pressure measurements will become premier tool for testing granular flow models.
A model for kinetic grain growth
Authors: Baunach Thorsten , Fierz Charles , Satyawali Pramod K. , Schneebeli Martin
Published: November 2007

Snow-cover models are used in many applications in today’s snow and ice research. Descriptions of changes in size and shape are a major problem in modelling the snow cover. Empirical models for kinetic growth under temperature gradients have been developed, as well as more complicated models based upon microstructure. In this work a simple; physically based model is derived which depends on one adjustable geometric factor only Snow texture is described as a body-centred cubic lattice containing source and sink grains. The latter grow as plates due to water-vapour transport in the layer as well as between the layers. The model was implemented in a research version of the one-dimensional snow-cover model SNOWPACK. Model outputs are compared to experiments done in the cold laboratory where sieved snow is subjected to temperature gradients. Disaggregated snow samples are analyzed by digital image processing, by sieving and by visual characterization. In order to determine grain-size as objectively as possible, these various methods are evaluated for compatibility. The new model simulates very well kinetic grain growth for densities of 100–200 kg m−3 and temperature gradients up to –200 Km−1. The model will be incorporated in the operational version of SNOWPACK.
Simulation of surface-hoar layers for snow-cover models
Authors: Föhn Paul M.B.
Published: November 2007

During two winters, typical meteorological conditions (temperature, humidity, wind, radiation) and snow-surface conditions (snow surface and snow temperatures) were measured to simulate the formation and ablation processes (mainly sublimation) of surface hoar on two level snow plots, situated at 2500 and 1500 m a.s.l. In order to verify the simulated deposition/ablation rates, the surface-hoar mass, thickness and occasionally density were also measured. The evaluation shows that, using the aerodynamic bulk method for the half-hourly simulation periods, >90% of the day/night periods could be rated as either hoar-formation or ablation periods. The simulated sublimation rates (deposition/ablation) deviate in the mean by not more than 10% from the measured amounts! However, some larger deviations are present, mainly during ablation periods with heavy melting. Finally a method is shown for transforming net deposited vapour amounts into surface-hoar layers of a corresponding height in order to produce “layers” which might be integrated into snow-cover simulation models.
Ping-pong ball avalanche experiments
Authors: McElwaine J. , Nishimura K.
Published: November 2007

Ping-pong ball avalanche experiments have been carried out for the last 3 years at the Miyanomori ski jump in Sapporo, Japan, to study three-dimensional granular flows. Up to 550 000 balls were released near the top of the landing slope. The balls then flowed past video cameras positioned close to the flow, which measured individual ball velocities in three dimensions, and air-pressure tubes at different heights. The flows developed a complicated three-dimensional structure with a distinct head and tail, lobes and “eyes”. “Eyes” have been observed in laboratory granular flow experiments, and the other features are similar not only to snow avalanches” but also to other large-scale geophysical flows. The velocities attained showed a remarkable increase with the number of released balls. A power law for this relation is derived by similarity arguments. The air-pressure data are used to deduce the structure of the airflow around the avalanche and, in conjunction with the kinetic theory of granular matter, to estimate the balance of forces in the avalanche head.
Avalanches: a probabilistic approach to modelling
Authors: Bozhinskiy A. N. , Nazarov A. N. , Chernouss P. A.
Published: November 2007

A probabilistic approach to modelling avalanche origin and dynamics is developed. An avalanche process is considered as a single event. As a basis, the physically established deterministic models describing the processes of avalanche origin and motion are used. On the other hand, input data and/or parameters of these models are treated as random variables. The study is restricted only with respect to the dynamic stage of the avalanche process. It is assumed that the initial volume of snow, entrained into the motion, and the coefficients of dry and turbulent friction of the avalanche body are random variables. The other input data are deterministic. Three kinds of distribution laws for random variables are examined: uniform, normal and exponential. Several hundred numerical tests, carried out for the selected avalanche path No. 22 in the Khibiny region, Russia, allowed construction of the distribution functions for the output parameters of the dynamic model. These parameters are the front velocity, the height and the volume of the avalanche body at fixed points of the avalanche path. No very strong dependence of distribution functions on the kind of distribution laws was found. The model and empirical distribution functions are very close to one another for run-out distances and sufficiently close for depths and volumes of snow deposits.
Snow texture: a comparison of empirical versus simulated texture index for Alpine snow
Authors: Plelmeier C. , Schneebeli M. , Stucki T.
Published: November 2007

The texture of snow has a great impact on the mechanical and thermal properties of a snowpack. The texture index (TI) is a new concept to quantify the texture of snow at the micro- and mesoscale, a scale at which the properties of snow layers are responsible for the stability of a snowpack. It is calculated by taking the ratio of mean grain-size (mm) of snow to density (kg m−3) of snow in a given layer. It combines a microstructural with a mesostructural parameter. An empirically derived TI is compared with a simulated TI for laboratory experimental snow and natural snow profiles. TheTI was calculated throughout the development of three temperature-gradient snow experiments from laboratory measurements of grain-size and density. In a one-dimensional finite-element snowpack model (SNOWPACK), the development of the mean grain-size and density of these snow samples was simulated. It can be shown that the measured TI can be predicted by the modelled TI. Furthermore, three natural snow profiles from the Weissfluhjoch (Switzerland) test-field are compared with their simulations in terms of TI. This comparison reveals shortcomings in the measurement of fundamental parameters. It also shows the dependency of a good physical model on quantitative process descriptions at the microscale TheTI can be estimated using the force signal of the SnowMicroPen, a new high-resolution snow micropenetrometer. It is suggested that more accurate classical measurements combined with penetrometer measurements in the immediate vicinity of the snow profile will allow better verification of SNOWPACK simulations.
An accurate shock-capturing finite-difference method to solve the Savage-Hutter equations in avalanche dynamics
Authors: Tai Y. C. , Noelle S. , Gray J. M. N.T. , Hutter K.
Published: November 2007

The Savage-Hutter equations of granular avalanche flows are a hyperbolic system of equations for the distribution of depth and depth-averaged velocity components tangential to the sliding bed. They involve two phenomenological parameters, the internal and the bed friction angles, which together define the earth pressure coefficient which assumes different values depending upon whether the flow is either diverging or contracting. Because of the hyperbolicity of the equations, since velocities may be supercritical, shock waves are often formed in avalanche flows. Numerical schemes solving these free surface flows must cope with smooth as well as non-smooth solutions. In this paper the Savage-Hutter equations in conservative form are solved with a shock-capturing technique, including a front-tracking method. This method can perform for parabolic similarity solutions for which the Lagrangian scheme is excellent, and it is even better in other situations when the latter fails.
Simulating snowmelt processes during rain-on-snow over a semi-arid mountain basin
Authors: Marks Danny , Link Tim , Winstral Adam , Garen David
Published: November 2007

In the Pacific Northwest of North America, significant flooding can occur during mid-winter rain-on-snow events. Warm, wet Pacific storms caused significant floods in the Pacific Northwest in February 1996, January 1997 and January 1998. Rapid melting of the mountain snow cover substantially augmented discharge during these flood events. An energy-balance snowmelt model is used to simulate snowmelt processes during the January 1997 event over a small headwater basin within the Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed located in the Owyhee Mountains of southwestern Idaho, U.S.A. This sub-basin is 34% forested (12% fir, 22% aspen and 66% mixed sagebrush (primarily mountain big sagebrush)). Data from paired open and forested experimental sites were used to drive the model. Model-forcing data were corrected for topographic and vegetation canopy effects. The event was preceded by cold, stormy conditions that developed a significant snow cover over the sub-basin. The snow cover at sites protected by forest cover was slightly reduced, while at open sites significant snowmelt occurred. The warm, moist, windy conditions during the flooding event produced substantially higher melt rates in exposed areas, where sensible- and latent-heat exchanges contributed 60–90% of the energy for snowmelt. Simulated snow-cover development and ablation during the model run closely matched measured conditions at the two experimental sites. This experiment shows the sensitivity of snowmelt processes to both climate and land cover, and illustrates how the forest canopy is coupled to the hydrologic cycle in mountainous areas.
Aerosol dry deposition measured with eddy-covariance technique at Wasa and Aboa, DronningMaud Land, Antarctica
Authors: Grönlund Anna , Nilsson Douglas , Koponen Ismo K. , Virkkula Aki , Hansson Margareta E.
Published: November 2007

Interpretation of ice-core records in terms of changes in atmospheric concentrations requires understanding of the various parameters within air–snow transfer functions. the dry-deposition velocity is one of these parameters, dependent on local meteorological conditions and thereby also affected by climate changes. We have determined aerosol dry-deposition velocities by measurements of aerosol particle-number concentration and the vertical wind component with an eddy-covariance system close to the Swedish and Finnish research stations Wasa and Aboa in Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica. Measurements were performed over a smooth, snow-covered area and over moderately rough, rocky ground during 4 and 19 days, respectively, in January 2000. the median dry-deposition velocity determined 5.25 mabove the surface was 0.33 and 0.80 cm s–1, respectively. the large difference between the two sites was mainly due to the stratification of the surface boundary layer, the surface albedo and the surface roughness height. the dry-deposition number fluxes were dominated by the particle-size modes defined as ultrafine and Aitken, withmean diameters around 14 and 42 nm, respectively. A larger dry-deposition velocity, owing to stronger Brownian diffusion, for the smaller ultrafine mode was verified by the measurements.