Spatial patterns of snow distribution in the sub-Arctic
The spatial distribution of snow plays a vital role in sub-Arctic and Arctic climate, hydrology, and ecology due to its fundamental influence on the water balance, thermal regimes, vegetation, and carbon flux. However, the spatial distribution of snow is not well understood, and therefore, it is not...
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | unknown |
Published: |
eScholarship, University of California
2022
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6x49s591 |
id |
ftcdlib:oai:escholarship.org:ark:/13030/qt6x49s591 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftcdlib:oai:escholarship.org:ark:/13030/qt6x49s591 2024-01-07T09:41:05+01:00 Spatial patterns of snow distribution in the sub-Arctic Bennett, Katrina E Miller, Greta Busey, Robert Chen, Min Lathrop, Emma R Dann, Julian B Nutt, Mara Crumley, Ryan Dillard, Shannon L Dafflon, Baptiste Kumar, Jitendra Bolton, W Robert Wilson, Cathy J Iversen, Colleen M Wullschleger, Stan D 3269 - 3293 2022-01-01 application/pdf https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6x49s591 unknown eScholarship, University of California qt6x49s591 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6x49s591 CC-BY The Cryosphere, vol 16, iss 8 Earth Sciences Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience Climate Action Oceanography Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences article 2022 ftcdlib 2023-12-11T19:07:59Z The spatial distribution of snow plays a vital role in sub-Arctic and Arctic climate, hydrology, and ecology due to its fundamental influence on the water balance, thermal regimes, vegetation, and carbon flux. However, the spatial distribution of snow is not well understood, and therefore, it is not well modeled, which can lead to substantial uncertainties in snow cover representations. To capture key hydro-ecological controls on snow spatial distribution, we carried out intensive field studies over multiple years for two small (2017-2019; g1/4g2.5gkm2) sub-Arctic study sites located on the Seward Peninsula of Alaska. Using an intensive suite of field observations (>g22g000 data points), we developed simple models of the spatial distribution of snow water equivalent (SWE) using factors such as topographic characteristics, vegetation characteristics based on greenness (normalized different vegetation index, NDVI), and a simple metric for approximating winds. The most successful model was random forest, using both study sites and all years, which was able to accurately capture the complexity and variability of snow characteristics across the sites. Approximately 86g% of the SWE distribution could be accounted for, on average, by the random forest model at the study sites. Factors that impacted year-to-year snow distribution included NDVI, elevation, and a metric to represent coarse microtopography (topographic position index, TPI), while slope, wind, and fine microtopography factors were less important. The characterization of the SWE spatial distribution patterns will be used to validate and improve snow distribution modeling in the Department of Energy's Earth system model and for improved understanding of hydrology, topography, and vegetation dynamics in the sub-Arctic and Arctic regions of the globe. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Seward Peninsula The Cryosphere Alaska University of California: eScholarship Arctic |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of California: eScholarship |
op_collection_id |
ftcdlib |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Earth Sciences Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience Climate Action Oceanography Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences |
spellingShingle |
Earth Sciences Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience Climate Action Oceanography Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences Bennett, Katrina E Miller, Greta Busey, Robert Chen, Min Lathrop, Emma R Dann, Julian B Nutt, Mara Crumley, Ryan Dillard, Shannon L Dafflon, Baptiste Kumar, Jitendra Bolton, W Robert Wilson, Cathy J Iversen, Colleen M Wullschleger, Stan D Spatial patterns of snow distribution in the sub-Arctic |
topic_facet |
Earth Sciences Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience Climate Action Oceanography Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences |
description |
The spatial distribution of snow plays a vital role in sub-Arctic and Arctic climate, hydrology, and ecology due to its fundamental influence on the water balance, thermal regimes, vegetation, and carbon flux. However, the spatial distribution of snow is not well understood, and therefore, it is not well modeled, which can lead to substantial uncertainties in snow cover representations. To capture key hydro-ecological controls on snow spatial distribution, we carried out intensive field studies over multiple years for two small (2017-2019; g1/4g2.5gkm2) sub-Arctic study sites located on the Seward Peninsula of Alaska. Using an intensive suite of field observations (>g22g000 data points), we developed simple models of the spatial distribution of snow water equivalent (SWE) using factors such as topographic characteristics, vegetation characteristics based on greenness (normalized different vegetation index, NDVI), and a simple metric for approximating winds. The most successful model was random forest, using both study sites and all years, which was able to accurately capture the complexity and variability of snow characteristics across the sites. Approximately 86g% of the SWE distribution could be accounted for, on average, by the random forest model at the study sites. Factors that impacted year-to-year snow distribution included NDVI, elevation, and a metric to represent coarse microtopography (topographic position index, TPI), while slope, wind, and fine microtopography factors were less important. The characterization of the SWE spatial distribution patterns will be used to validate and improve snow distribution modeling in the Department of Energy's Earth system model and for improved understanding of hydrology, topography, and vegetation dynamics in the sub-Arctic and Arctic regions of the globe. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Bennett, Katrina E Miller, Greta Busey, Robert Chen, Min Lathrop, Emma R Dann, Julian B Nutt, Mara Crumley, Ryan Dillard, Shannon L Dafflon, Baptiste Kumar, Jitendra Bolton, W Robert Wilson, Cathy J Iversen, Colleen M Wullschleger, Stan D |
author_facet |
Bennett, Katrina E Miller, Greta Busey, Robert Chen, Min Lathrop, Emma R Dann, Julian B Nutt, Mara Crumley, Ryan Dillard, Shannon L Dafflon, Baptiste Kumar, Jitendra Bolton, W Robert Wilson, Cathy J Iversen, Colleen M Wullschleger, Stan D |
author_sort |
Bennett, Katrina E |
title |
Spatial patterns of snow distribution in the sub-Arctic |
title_short |
Spatial patterns of snow distribution in the sub-Arctic |
title_full |
Spatial patterns of snow distribution in the sub-Arctic |
title_fullStr |
Spatial patterns of snow distribution in the sub-Arctic |
title_full_unstemmed |
Spatial patterns of snow distribution in the sub-Arctic |
title_sort |
spatial patterns of snow distribution in the sub-arctic |
publisher |
eScholarship, University of California |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6x49s591 |
op_coverage |
3269 - 3293 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic Seward Peninsula The Cryosphere Alaska |
genre_facet |
Arctic Seward Peninsula The Cryosphere Alaska |
op_source |
The Cryosphere, vol 16, iss 8 |
op_relation |
qt6x49s591 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6x49s591 |
op_rights |
CC-BY |
_version_ |
1787421887297486848 |