Spatial Patterns of Snow Accumulation in the Alpine Terrain
Abstract A model, relating spatial patterns of snow accumulation in the alpine belt of major mountain ranges to the angular relationship which exists among terrain features such as cirque basins, mean storm-path trajectories, and incident solar radiation, is presented together with a limited amount...
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Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press (CUP)
1980
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000011102 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000011102 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0022143000011102 2024-03-03T08:45:56+00:00 Spatial Patterns of Snow Accumulation in the Alpine Terrain Alford, Donald 1980 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000011102 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000011102 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) Journal of Glaciology volume 26, issue 94, page 517 ISSN 0022-1430 1727-5652 Earth-Surface Processes journal-article 1980 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000011102 2024-02-08T08:47:47Z Abstract A model, relating spatial patterns of snow accumulation in the alpine belt of major mountain ranges to the angular relationship which exists among terrain features such as cirque basins, mean storm-path trajectories, and incident solar radiation, is presented together with a limited amount of relevant empirical data. It is suggested that an “orientation gradient” exists in both the temporal and spatial variation of accumulation and ablation in the alpine terrain, the importance of which varies as some function of the relative control exerted by wind redistribution of snow and of direct incident solar radiation on the accumulation and ablation processes. The data obtained to date suggest that the importance of the orientation gradient varies widely among the mountain ranges studied, being a good predictor of snow distribution patterns in the Front Range of the Colorado Rockies and the Snowy Range in southern Wyoming, both of which are relatively windswept, while in the much less windy Bridger Range, in south-western Montana, both orientation and elevation appear to contribute on an almost equal basis. An indirect method of estimating relative amounts of annual mass turnover, using eleven glaciers located in the Wind River of west central Wyoming, is presented. Article in Journal/Newspaper Journal of Glaciology Cambridge University Press Wind River ENVELOPE(-135.304,-135.304,65.841,65.841) Bridger ENVELOPE(-45.850,-45.850,-60.550,-60.550) Snowy Range ENVELOPE(-138.221,-138.221,64.316,64.316) Journal of Glaciology 26 94 517 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Cambridge University Press |
op_collection_id |
crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
topic |
Earth-Surface Processes |
spellingShingle |
Earth-Surface Processes Alford, Donald Spatial Patterns of Snow Accumulation in the Alpine Terrain |
topic_facet |
Earth-Surface Processes |
description |
Abstract A model, relating spatial patterns of snow accumulation in the alpine belt of major mountain ranges to the angular relationship which exists among terrain features such as cirque basins, mean storm-path trajectories, and incident solar radiation, is presented together with a limited amount of relevant empirical data. It is suggested that an “orientation gradient” exists in both the temporal and spatial variation of accumulation and ablation in the alpine terrain, the importance of which varies as some function of the relative control exerted by wind redistribution of snow and of direct incident solar radiation on the accumulation and ablation processes. The data obtained to date suggest that the importance of the orientation gradient varies widely among the mountain ranges studied, being a good predictor of snow distribution patterns in the Front Range of the Colorado Rockies and the Snowy Range in southern Wyoming, both of which are relatively windswept, while in the much less windy Bridger Range, in south-western Montana, both orientation and elevation appear to contribute on an almost equal basis. An indirect method of estimating relative amounts of annual mass turnover, using eleven glaciers located in the Wind River of west central Wyoming, is presented. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Alford, Donald |
author_facet |
Alford, Donald |
author_sort |
Alford, Donald |
title |
Spatial Patterns of Snow Accumulation in the Alpine Terrain |
title_short |
Spatial Patterns of Snow Accumulation in the Alpine Terrain |
title_full |
Spatial Patterns of Snow Accumulation in the Alpine Terrain |
title_fullStr |
Spatial Patterns of Snow Accumulation in the Alpine Terrain |
title_full_unstemmed |
Spatial Patterns of Snow Accumulation in the Alpine Terrain |
title_sort |
spatial patterns of snow accumulation in the alpine terrain |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
1980 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000011102 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000011102 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-135.304,-135.304,65.841,65.841) ENVELOPE(-45.850,-45.850,-60.550,-60.550) ENVELOPE(-138.221,-138.221,64.316,64.316) |
geographic |
Wind River Bridger Snowy Range |
geographic_facet |
Wind River Bridger Snowy Range |
genre |
Journal of Glaciology |
genre_facet |
Journal of Glaciology |
op_source |
Journal of Glaciology volume 26, issue 94, page 517 ISSN 0022-1430 1727-5652 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000011102 |
container_title |
Journal of Glaciology |
container_volume |
26 |
container_issue |
94 |
container_start_page |
517 |
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1792501642470359040 |