Streamflow variability and the role of snowmelt in a marginal snow environment
Snowmelt in alpine regions supports hydroelectric power generation, water supply, and agricultural production. These regions are warming, and the impact on streamflow of changes in precipitation and the proportion falling as snow is of interest. We investigate the seasonality and interannual variabi...
Published in: | Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research |
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Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2020
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1080/15230430.2020.1746517 https://doaj.org/article/f89a598595cb4cc4b3f83b96b17982db |
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fttriple:oai:gotriple.eu:oai:doaj.org/article:f89a598595cb4cc4b3f83b96b17982db 2023-05-15T14:14:23+02:00 Streamflow variability and the role of snowmelt in a marginal snow environment Shane P. Bilish J. Nikolaus Callow Hamish A. McGowan 2020-01-01 https://doi.org/10.1080/15230430.2020.1746517 https://doaj.org/article/f89a598595cb4cc4b3f83b96b17982db en eng Taylor & Francis Group 1523-0430 1938-4246 doi:10.1080/15230430.2020.1746517 https://doaj.org/article/f89a598595cb4cc4b3f83b96b17982db undefined Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, Vol 52, Iss 1, Pp 161-176 (2020) australian alps marginal snowpack snowmelt streamflow envir geo Journal Article https://vocabularies.coar-repositories.org/resource_types/c_6501/ 2020 fttriple https://doi.org/10.1080/15230430.2020.1746517 2023-01-22T19:16:45Z Snowmelt in alpine regions supports hydroelectric power generation, water supply, and agricultural production. These regions are warming, and the impact on streamflow of changes in precipitation and the proportion falling as snow is of interest. We investigate the seasonality and interannual variability of streamflow in the Australian Alps, a key location due to the marginal snowpack with winter air temperatures close to 0°C, and focus on a small subalpine catchment with properties representative of an important part of the broader snow-affected region. Streamflow was highly responsive to precipitation inputs with little autocorrelation observed. Water years were divided into four hydrological seasons based on the mean properties of normalized cumulative inflows. The spring snowmelt season accounted for the greatest proportion of annual inflows (mean = 39 percent). However, correlations between seasonal and annual inflows were only significant in the other three seasons, and winter inflows were the most important contributor to annual variability. The present snowpack is highly variable and sensitive to synoptic-scale influences. Although significant future reductions in snow-covered area have been predicted, we find that water resources are more susceptible to observed declines in total precipitation and likely increases in evapotranspiration than to a shift to proportionally less snowfall. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarctic and Alpine Research Arctic Unknown Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research 52 1 161 176 |
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Open Polar |
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language |
English |
topic |
australian alps marginal snowpack snowmelt streamflow envir geo |
spellingShingle |
australian alps marginal snowpack snowmelt streamflow envir geo Shane P. Bilish J. Nikolaus Callow Hamish A. McGowan Streamflow variability and the role of snowmelt in a marginal snow environment |
topic_facet |
australian alps marginal snowpack snowmelt streamflow envir geo |
description |
Snowmelt in alpine regions supports hydroelectric power generation, water supply, and agricultural production. These regions are warming, and the impact on streamflow of changes in precipitation and the proportion falling as snow is of interest. We investigate the seasonality and interannual variability of streamflow in the Australian Alps, a key location due to the marginal snowpack with winter air temperatures close to 0°C, and focus on a small subalpine catchment with properties representative of an important part of the broader snow-affected region. Streamflow was highly responsive to precipitation inputs with little autocorrelation observed. Water years were divided into four hydrological seasons based on the mean properties of normalized cumulative inflows. The spring snowmelt season accounted for the greatest proportion of annual inflows (mean = 39 percent). However, correlations between seasonal and annual inflows were only significant in the other three seasons, and winter inflows were the most important contributor to annual variability. The present snowpack is highly variable and sensitive to synoptic-scale influences. Although significant future reductions in snow-covered area have been predicted, we find that water resources are more susceptible to observed declines in total precipitation and likely increases in evapotranspiration than to a shift to proportionally less snowfall. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Shane P. Bilish J. Nikolaus Callow Hamish A. McGowan |
author_facet |
Shane P. Bilish J. Nikolaus Callow Hamish A. McGowan |
author_sort |
Shane P. Bilish |
title |
Streamflow variability and the role of snowmelt in a marginal snow environment |
title_short |
Streamflow variability and the role of snowmelt in a marginal snow environment |
title_full |
Streamflow variability and the role of snowmelt in a marginal snow environment |
title_fullStr |
Streamflow variability and the role of snowmelt in a marginal snow environment |
title_full_unstemmed |
Streamflow variability and the role of snowmelt in a marginal snow environment |
title_sort |
streamflow variability and the role of snowmelt in a marginal snow environment |
publisher |
Taylor & Francis Group |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1080/15230430.2020.1746517 https://doaj.org/article/f89a598595cb4cc4b3f83b96b17982db |
genre |
Antarctic and Alpine Research Arctic |
genre_facet |
Antarctic and Alpine Research Arctic |
op_source |
Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, Vol 52, Iss 1, Pp 161-176 (2020) |
op_relation |
1523-0430 1938-4246 doi:10.1080/15230430.2020.1746517 https://doaj.org/article/f89a598595cb4cc4b3f83b96b17982db |
op_rights |
undefined |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1080/15230430.2020.1746517 |
container_title |
Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research |
container_volume |
52 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
161 |
op_container_end_page |
176 |
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1766286877530259456 |