On the influence of variability of snow cover parameters to the ground freezing

• Published in: Ice and Snow
• Main Authors: N. I. Osokin, A. V. Sosnovskiy, P. R. Nakalov
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Russian
• Published: Nauka 2015
• Subjects: глубина промерзания грунта; толщина снежного покрова; температура грунта; термическое сопротивление снега; экстремальные значения; Science; Q; lena river; Siberia
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.15356/2076-6734-2015-2-60-68; https://doaj.org/article/5fcd8dadd1d942da8b63fdfa47622dc2

Depth and rate of the soil freezing are stronly determined by dynamics of snow accumulation during the first half of a cold season. Dynamics of snow accumulation over two periods (1966–2000 and 2001–2010) was analyzed using data of snow surveys performed on the European part of Russia and in basins of rivers Ob and Yenisei (Siberia). The ratio a of snow cover thickness measured for the first half of the cold season (untill January 1st) to the maximal thickness for the whole period is taken as a characteristic of the snow accumulation dynamics. Maps of the ratio a on the above areas had been constructed. During the last period (2001–2010) values of this ratio increased by 10–20% in regions to the East of the Lena river, and they decreased by 15–40% in the European part of Russia and in basins of rivers Ob and Yenisei. Model calculations did show that differences in the soil freezing depths under different conditions of the snow cover growth sometimes exceeded 50%. Interannual variability of the snow thermal resistance and the snow cover influence.