Observation and modelling of snow at a polygonal tundra permafrost site: spatial variability and thermal implications
The shortage of information on snow properties in high latitudes places a major limitation on permafrost and more generally climate modelling. A dedicated field program was therefore carried out to investigate snow properties and their spatial variability at a polygonal tundra permafrost site. Notab...
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Copernicus Publications
2018
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ftnonlinearchiv:oai:noa.gwlb.de:cop_mods_00003821 2023-05-15T15:10:57+02:00 Observation and modelling of snow at a polygonal tundra permafrost site: spatial variability and thermal implications Gouttevin, Isabelle Langer, Moritz Löwe, Henning Boike, Julia Proksch, Martin Schneebeli, Martin 2018-11 electronic https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3693-2018 https://noa.gwlb.de/receive/cop_mods_00003821 https://noa.gwlb.de/servlets/MCRFileNodeServlet/cop_derivate_00003778/tc-12-3693-2018.pdf https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/12/3693/2018/tc-12-3693-2018.pdf eng eng Copernicus Publications The Cryosphere -- ˜Theœ Cryosphere -- http://www.bibliothek.uni-regensburg.de/ezeit/?2393169 -- http://www.the-cryosphere.net/ -- 1994-0424 https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3693-2018 https://noa.gwlb.de/receive/cop_mods_00003821 https://noa.gwlb.de/servlets/MCRFileNodeServlet/cop_derivate_00003778/tc-12-3693-2018.pdf https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/12/3693/2018/tc-12-3693-2018.pdf https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ uneingeschränkt info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess CC-BY article Verlagsveröffentlichung article Text doc-type:article 2018 ftnonlinearchiv https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3693-2018 2022-02-08T23:00:24Z The shortage of information on snow properties in high latitudes places a major limitation on permafrost and more generally climate modelling. A dedicated field program was therefore carried out to investigate snow properties and their spatial variability at a polygonal tundra permafrost site. Notably, snow samples were analysed for surface-normal thermal conductivity (Keff−z) based on X-ray microtomography. Also, the detailed snow model SNOWPACK was adapted to these Arctic conditions to enable relevant simulations of the ground thermal regime. Finally, the sensitivity of soil temperatures to snow spatial variability was analysed. Within a typical tundra snowpack composed of depth hoar overlain by wind slabs, depth hoar samples were found more conductive ( Keff-z=0.22±0.05 W m−1 K−1) than in most previously published studies, which could be explained by their high density and microstructural anisotropy. Spatial variations in the thermal properties of the snowpack were well explained by the microtopography and ground surface conditions of the polygonal tundra, which control depth hoar growth and snow accumulation. Our adaptations to SNOWPACK, phenomenologically taking into account the effects of wind compaction, basal vegetation, and water vapour flux, yielded realistic density and Keff−z profiles that greatly improved simulations of the ground thermal regime. Also, a density- and anisotropy-based parameterization for Keff−z lead to further slight improvements. Soil temperatures were found to be particularly sensitive to snow conditions during the early winter and polar night, highlighting the need for improved snow characterization and modelling over this period. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic permafrost polar night The Cryosphere Tundra Niedersächsisches Online-Archiv NOA Arctic The Cryosphere 12 11 3693 3717 |
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Open Polar |
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Niedersächsisches Online-Archiv NOA |
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ftnonlinearchiv |
language |
English |
topic |
article Verlagsveröffentlichung |
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article Verlagsveröffentlichung Gouttevin, Isabelle Langer, Moritz Löwe, Henning Boike, Julia Proksch, Martin Schneebeli, Martin Observation and modelling of snow at a polygonal tundra permafrost site: spatial variability and thermal implications |
topic_facet |
article Verlagsveröffentlichung |
description |
The shortage of information on snow properties in high latitudes places a major limitation on permafrost and more generally climate modelling. A dedicated field program was therefore carried out to investigate snow properties and their spatial variability at a polygonal tundra permafrost site. Notably, snow samples were analysed for surface-normal thermal conductivity (Keff−z) based on X-ray microtomography. Also, the detailed snow model SNOWPACK was adapted to these Arctic conditions to enable relevant simulations of the ground thermal regime. Finally, the sensitivity of soil temperatures to snow spatial variability was analysed. Within a typical tundra snowpack composed of depth hoar overlain by wind slabs, depth hoar samples were found more conductive ( Keff-z=0.22±0.05 W m−1 K−1) than in most previously published studies, which could be explained by their high density and microstructural anisotropy. Spatial variations in the thermal properties of the snowpack were well explained by the microtopography and ground surface conditions of the polygonal tundra, which control depth hoar growth and snow accumulation. Our adaptations to SNOWPACK, phenomenologically taking into account the effects of wind compaction, basal vegetation, and water vapour flux, yielded realistic density and Keff−z profiles that greatly improved simulations of the ground thermal regime. Also, a density- and anisotropy-based parameterization for Keff−z lead to further slight improvements. Soil temperatures were found to be particularly sensitive to snow conditions during the early winter and polar night, highlighting the need for improved snow characterization and modelling over this period. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Gouttevin, Isabelle Langer, Moritz Löwe, Henning Boike, Julia Proksch, Martin Schneebeli, Martin |
author_facet |
Gouttevin, Isabelle Langer, Moritz Löwe, Henning Boike, Julia Proksch, Martin Schneebeli, Martin |
author_sort |
Gouttevin, Isabelle |
title |
Observation and modelling of snow at a polygonal tundra permafrost site: spatial variability and thermal implications |
title_short |
Observation and modelling of snow at a polygonal tundra permafrost site: spatial variability and thermal implications |
title_full |
Observation and modelling of snow at a polygonal tundra permafrost site: spatial variability and thermal implications |
title_fullStr |
Observation and modelling of snow at a polygonal tundra permafrost site: spatial variability and thermal implications |
title_full_unstemmed |
Observation and modelling of snow at a polygonal tundra permafrost site: spatial variability and thermal implications |
title_sort |
observation and modelling of snow at a polygonal tundra permafrost site: spatial variability and thermal implications |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3693-2018 https://noa.gwlb.de/receive/cop_mods_00003821 https://noa.gwlb.de/servlets/MCRFileNodeServlet/cop_derivate_00003778/tc-12-3693-2018.pdf https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/12/3693/2018/tc-12-3693-2018.pdf |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic permafrost polar night The Cryosphere Tundra |
genre_facet |
Arctic permafrost polar night The Cryosphere Tundra |
op_relation |
The Cryosphere -- ˜Theœ Cryosphere -- http://www.bibliothek.uni-regensburg.de/ezeit/?2393169 -- http://www.the-cryosphere.net/ -- 1994-0424 https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3693-2018 https://noa.gwlb.de/receive/cop_mods_00003821 https://noa.gwlb.de/servlets/MCRFileNodeServlet/cop_derivate_00003778/tc-12-3693-2018.pdf https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/12/3693/2018/tc-12-3693-2018.pdf |
op_rights |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ uneingeschränkt info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3693-2018 |
container_title |
The Cryosphere |
container_volume |
12 |
container_issue |
11 |
container_start_page |
3693 |
op_container_end_page |
3717 |
_version_ |
1766341879817830400 |