A method for imaging water transport in soil–snow systems with neutron radiography
Liquid water at the ground–snow interface is thought to play a crucial role in the release of glide-snow avalanches, which can be massive and threaten infrastructure in alpine regions. Several mechanisms have been postulated to explain the formation of this interfacial water. However, these mechanis...
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Cambridge University Press
2023
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11850/642901 https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000642901 |
id |
ftethz:oai:www.research-collection.ethz.ch:20.500.11850/642901 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftethz:oai:www.research-collection.ethz.ch:20.500.11850/642901 2024-01-07T09:38:21+01:00 A method for imaging water transport in soil–snow systems with neutron radiography Lombardo, Michael Lehmann Grunder, Peter Ulrich id_orcid:0 000-0001-6315-7441 Kaestner, Per Anders id_orcid:0 000-0003-4054-4726 Fees, Amelie Van Herwijnen, Alec Schweizer, Jürg id_orcid:0 000-0001-5076-2968 2023 application/application/pdf https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11850/642901 https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000642901 en eng Cambridge University Press info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1017/aog.2023.65 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/001090699500001 http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11850/642901 doi:10.3929/ethz-b-000642901 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Annals of Glaciology Avalanches snow snow physics info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 2023 ftethz https://doi.org/20.500.11850/64290110.3929/ethz-b-00064290110.1017/aog.2023.65 2023-12-11T00:51:32Z Liquid water at the ground–snow interface is thought to play a crucial role in the release of glide-snow avalanches, which can be massive and threaten infrastructure in alpine regions. Several mechanisms have been postulated to explain the formation of this interfacial water. However, these mechanisms remain poorly understood, in part because suitable measurement techniques are lacking. Here, we demonstrate the use of neutron radiography for imaging water transport in soil–snow systems. Columns of sand, gravel and snow were used to simulate the capillary forces of the soil–vegetation–snow layering found in nature. The columns were connected to a water reservoir to maintain a constant-pressure boundary condition and placed in a climatic chamber within the neutron beam. We show that neutron radiography is capable of measuring changes in the optical density distribution (related to liquid water content) within all three layers of the model system. Results suggest that a porous interface between the sand and snow may induce the formation of a water layer in the basal snowpack. Improved understanding of the water transport in soil–snow systems should lead to better prediction of glide-snow avalanche release and could also benefit other fields such as snow hydrology. ISSN:0260-3055 ISSN:1727-5644 Article in Journal/Newspaper Annals of Glaciology ETH Zürich Research Collection |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
ETH Zürich Research Collection |
op_collection_id |
ftethz |
language |
English |
topic |
Avalanches snow snow physics |
spellingShingle |
Avalanches snow snow physics Lombardo, Michael Lehmann Grunder, Peter Ulrich id_orcid:0 000-0001-6315-7441 Kaestner, Per Anders id_orcid:0 000-0003-4054-4726 Fees, Amelie Van Herwijnen, Alec Schweizer, Jürg id_orcid:0 000-0001-5076-2968 A method for imaging water transport in soil–snow systems with neutron radiography |
topic_facet |
Avalanches snow snow physics |
description |
Liquid water at the ground–snow interface is thought to play a crucial role in the release of glide-snow avalanches, which can be massive and threaten infrastructure in alpine regions. Several mechanisms have been postulated to explain the formation of this interfacial water. However, these mechanisms remain poorly understood, in part because suitable measurement techniques are lacking. Here, we demonstrate the use of neutron radiography for imaging water transport in soil–snow systems. Columns of sand, gravel and snow were used to simulate the capillary forces of the soil–vegetation–snow layering found in nature. The columns were connected to a water reservoir to maintain a constant-pressure boundary condition and placed in a climatic chamber within the neutron beam. We show that neutron radiography is capable of measuring changes in the optical density distribution (related to liquid water content) within all three layers of the model system. Results suggest that a porous interface between the sand and snow may induce the formation of a water layer in the basal snowpack. Improved understanding of the water transport in soil–snow systems should lead to better prediction of glide-snow avalanche release and could also benefit other fields such as snow hydrology. ISSN:0260-3055 ISSN:1727-5644 |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Lombardo, Michael Lehmann Grunder, Peter Ulrich id_orcid:0 000-0001-6315-7441 Kaestner, Per Anders id_orcid:0 000-0003-4054-4726 Fees, Amelie Van Herwijnen, Alec Schweizer, Jürg id_orcid:0 000-0001-5076-2968 |
author_facet |
Lombardo, Michael Lehmann Grunder, Peter Ulrich id_orcid:0 000-0001-6315-7441 Kaestner, Per Anders id_orcid:0 000-0003-4054-4726 Fees, Amelie Van Herwijnen, Alec Schweizer, Jürg id_orcid:0 000-0001-5076-2968 |
author_sort |
Lombardo, Michael |
title |
A method for imaging water transport in soil–snow systems with neutron radiography |
title_short |
A method for imaging water transport in soil–snow systems with neutron radiography |
title_full |
A method for imaging water transport in soil–snow systems with neutron radiography |
title_fullStr |
A method for imaging water transport in soil–snow systems with neutron radiography |
title_full_unstemmed |
A method for imaging water transport in soil–snow systems with neutron radiography |
title_sort |
method for imaging water transport in soil–snow systems with neutron radiography |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11850/642901 https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000642901 |
genre |
Annals of Glaciology |
genre_facet |
Annals of Glaciology |
op_source |
Annals of Glaciology |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1017/aog.2023.65 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/001090699500001 http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11850/642901 doi:10.3929/ethz-b-000642901 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/20.500.11850/64290110.3929/ethz-b-00064290110.1017/aog.2023.65 |
_version_ |
1787422559997788160 |