Influence of snow cover stratigraphy on its thermal resistance

• Published in: Ice and Snow
• Main Authors: N. I. Osokin, A. V. Sosnovsky, R. A. Chernov
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Russian
• Published: Nauka 2015
• Subjects: глубинная изморозь; коэффициент теплопроводности; плотность; термическое сопротивление снега; Science; Q; Ice; permafrost; Spitsbergen
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.15356/2076-6734-2013-3-63-70; https://doaj.org/article/8b17e3bf54014eb9a6773b123dc1d734

Effect of the snow thermal resistance on soil freezing is comparable to the influence of mean temperature in the cold period. Available values of the effective thermal conductivity of snow have been analyzed and compared with experimental data on snow cover with different structure collected in Moscow region. Effect of ice crusts and depth hoar layer on the thermal resistance of snow cove have been illustrated with West Spitsbergen and Moscow region examples. Neglect of snow cover stratigraphy in estimations of thermal conductivity was demonstrated to overrate is more than by half. As a result, the estimated rate of soil freezing might be higher than actual one, and therefore transition to the dangerous soil weakening and the beginning of permafrost degradation might past unnoticed.