Areal and Temporal Variation of Percolation of Water Through a Snow-Pack

• Published in: Journal of Glaciology
• Main Author: Langham, E. J.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1977
• Subjects: Earth-Surface Processes; Journal of Glaciology
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000029567; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000029567

Abstract Snow melt water that is uniformly generated over the upper surface of the snow-pack does not percolate homogeneously through the snow. Consequently, the rate of arrival of melt water at a single collector at the lower surface does not give a true measure of the melt rate. The experiment described here measures the spatial variability of flow rate and the temporal variation of this two-dimensional pattern. Data are collected from an array of 64 sensors under control of a microprocessor. The microprocessor checks the consistency of the data, calculates the flow rate for each sensor and transfers the results to a recorder. These mean flow rates are calculated at regular intervals for the duration of the experiment. In this way the temporal and spatial variations of flow rate may be related to variations in meteorological conditions and the evolution of the structure snow-pack as the melting progresses.