Snow density climatology across the former USSR

Snow density is one of the basic properties used to describe snow cover characteristics, and it is a key factor for linking snow depth and snow water equivalent, which are critical for water resources assessment and modeling inputs. In this study, we used long-term data from ground-based measurement...

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Published in:The Cryosphere
Main Authors: X. Zhong, T. Zhang, K. Wang
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2014
Subjects:
geo
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-785-2014
http://www.the-cryosphere.net/8/785/2014/tc-8-785-2014.pdf
https://doaj.org/article/e2e411c04fef439b955549cb8d189f96
id fttriple:oai:gotriple.eu:oai:doaj.org/article:e2e411c04fef439b955549cb8d189f96
record_format openpolar
spelling fttriple:oai:gotriple.eu:oai:doaj.org/article:e2e411c04fef439b955549cb8d189f96 2023-05-15T15:12:41+02:00 Snow density climatology across the former USSR X. Zhong T. Zhang K. Wang 2014-04-01 https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-785-2014 http://www.the-cryosphere.net/8/785/2014/tc-8-785-2014.pdf https://doaj.org/article/e2e411c04fef439b955549cb8d189f96 en eng Copernicus Publications 1994-0416 1994-0424 doi:10.5194/tc-8-785-2014 http://www.the-cryosphere.net/8/785/2014/tc-8-785-2014.pdf https://doaj.org/article/e2e411c04fef439b955549cb8d189f96 undefined The Cryosphere, Vol 8, Iss 2, Pp 785-799 (2014) envir geo Journal Article https://vocabularies.coar-repositories.org/resource_types/c_6501/ 2014 fttriple https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-785-2014 2023-01-22T19:34:02Z Snow density is one of the basic properties used to describe snow cover characteristics, and it is a key factor for linking snow depth and snow water equivalent, which are critical for water resources assessment and modeling inputs. In this study, we used long-term data from ground-based measurements to investigate snow density (bulk density) climatology and its spatiotemporal variations across the former Soviet Union (USSR) from 1966 to 2008. The results showed that the long-term monthly mean snow density was approximately 0.22 ± 0.05 g cm−3 over the study area. The maximum and minimum monthly mean snow density was about 0.33 g cm−3 in June, and 0.14 g cm−3 in October, respectively. Maritime and ephemeral snow had the highest monthly mean snow density, while taiga snow had the lowest. The higher values of monthly snow density were mainly located in the European regions of the former USSR, on the coast of Arctic Russia, and the Kamchatka Peninsula, while the lower snow density occurred in central Siberia. Significant increasing trends of snow density from September through June of the next year were observed, however, the rate of the increase varied with different snow classes. The long-term (1966–2008) monthly and annual mean snow densities had significant decreasing trends, especially during the autumn months. Spatially, significant positive trends in monthly mean snow density lay in the southwestern areas of the former USSR in November and December and gradually expanded in Russia from February through April. Significant negative trends mainly lay in the European Russia and the southern Russia. There was a high correlation of snow density with elevation for tundra snow and snow density was highly correlated with latitude for prairie snow. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Kamchatka Kamchatka Peninsula taiga The Cryosphere Tundra Siberia Unknown Arctic Kamchatka Peninsula ENVELOPE(160.000,160.000,56.000,56.000) The Cryosphere 8 2 785 799
institution Open Polar
collection Unknown
op_collection_id fttriple
language English
topic envir
geo
spellingShingle envir
geo
X. Zhong
T. Zhang
K. Wang
Snow density climatology across the former USSR
topic_facet envir
geo
description Snow density is one of the basic properties used to describe snow cover characteristics, and it is a key factor for linking snow depth and snow water equivalent, which are critical for water resources assessment and modeling inputs. In this study, we used long-term data from ground-based measurements to investigate snow density (bulk density) climatology and its spatiotemporal variations across the former Soviet Union (USSR) from 1966 to 2008. The results showed that the long-term monthly mean snow density was approximately 0.22 ± 0.05 g cm−3 over the study area. The maximum and minimum monthly mean snow density was about 0.33 g cm−3 in June, and 0.14 g cm−3 in October, respectively. Maritime and ephemeral snow had the highest monthly mean snow density, while taiga snow had the lowest. The higher values of monthly snow density were mainly located in the European regions of the former USSR, on the coast of Arctic Russia, and the Kamchatka Peninsula, while the lower snow density occurred in central Siberia. Significant increasing trends of snow density from September through June of the next year were observed, however, the rate of the increase varied with different snow classes. The long-term (1966–2008) monthly and annual mean snow densities had significant decreasing trends, especially during the autumn months. Spatially, significant positive trends in monthly mean snow density lay in the southwestern areas of the former USSR in November and December and gradually expanded in Russia from February through April. Significant negative trends mainly lay in the European Russia and the southern Russia. There was a high correlation of snow density with elevation for tundra snow and snow density was highly correlated with latitude for prairie snow.
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author X. Zhong
T. Zhang
K. Wang
author_facet X. Zhong
T. Zhang
K. Wang
author_sort X. Zhong
title Snow density climatology across the former USSR
title_short Snow density climatology across the former USSR
title_full Snow density climatology across the former USSR
title_fullStr Snow density climatology across the former USSR
title_full_unstemmed Snow density climatology across the former USSR
title_sort snow density climatology across the former ussr
publisher Copernicus Publications
publishDate 2014
url https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-785-2014
http://www.the-cryosphere.net/8/785/2014/tc-8-785-2014.pdf
https://doaj.org/article/e2e411c04fef439b955549cb8d189f96
long_lat ENVELOPE(160.000,160.000,56.000,56.000)
geographic Arctic
Kamchatka Peninsula
geographic_facet Arctic
Kamchatka Peninsula
genre Arctic
Kamchatka
Kamchatka Peninsula
taiga
The Cryosphere
Tundra
Siberia
genre_facet Arctic
Kamchatka
Kamchatka Peninsula
taiga
The Cryosphere
Tundra
Siberia
op_source The Cryosphere, Vol 8, Iss 2, Pp 785-799 (2014)
op_relation 1994-0416
1994-0424
doi:10.5194/tc-8-785-2014
http://www.the-cryosphere.net/8/785/2014/tc-8-785-2014.pdf
https://doaj.org/article/e2e411c04fef439b955549cb8d189f96
op_rights undefined
op_doi https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-785-2014
container_title The Cryosphere
container_volume 8
container_issue 2
container_start_page 785
op_container_end_page 799
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