Rate of decrease of the specific surface area of dry snow: Isothermal and temperature gradient conditions
International audience The specific surface area (SSA) of snow is the surface area available to gases per unit mass. It is an important variable for quantifying air-snow exchange of chemical species, and it is closely related to other variables such as albedo. Snow SSA decreases during metamorphism,...
Published in: | Journal of Geophysical Research |
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Main Authors: | , , , , |
Other Authors: | , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
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HAL CCSD
2007
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Online Access: | https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-00377486 https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-00377486/document https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-00377486/file/2006JF000514.pdf https://doi.org/10.1029/2006JF000514 |
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ftunivnantes:oai:HAL:insu-00377486v1 |
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openpolar |
institution |
Open Polar |
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Université de Nantes: HAL-UNIV-NANTES |
op_collection_id |
ftunivnantes |
language |
English |
topic |
snow surface area parameterization [SDU.STU.GL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Glaciology |
spellingShingle |
snow surface area parameterization [SDU.STU.GL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Glaciology Taillandier, Anne-Sophie Domine, Florent R. Simpson, William Sturm, Matthew A. Douglas, Thomas Rate of decrease of the specific surface area of dry snow: Isothermal and temperature gradient conditions |
topic_facet |
snow surface area parameterization [SDU.STU.GL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Glaciology |
description |
International audience The specific surface area (SSA) of snow is the surface area available to gases per unit mass. It is an important variable for quantifying air-snow exchange of chemical species, and it is closely related to other variables such as albedo. Snow SSA decreases during metamorphism, but few data are available to quantify its rate of decrease. We have performed laboratory experiments under isothermal and temperature gradient conditions during which the SSA of snow samples was monitored for several months. We have also monitored the SSA of snowfalls subjected to large temperature gradients at a field site in the central Alaskan taiga. The same snow layers were also monitored in a manipulated snowpack where the temperature gradient was greatly reduced. In all cases, the SSA decay follows a logarithmic equation with three adjustable variables that are parameterized using the initial snow SSA and the time-averaged temperature of the snow. Two parameterizations of the three adjustable variables are found: One applies to the isothermal experiments and to the quasi-isothermal cases studied in Alaska (equitemperature (ET) metamorphism), and the other is applicable to both the laboratory experiments performed under temperature gradients and to the natural snowpack in Alaska (temperature gradient (TG) metamorphism). Higher temperatures accelerate the decrease in SSA, and this decrease is faster under TG than ET conditions. We discuss the conditions of applicability of these parameterizations and use them to speculate on the effect of climate change on snow SSA. Depending on the climate regime, changes in the rate of decay of snow SSA and hence in snow albedo may produce either negative or positive feedbacks on climate change. |
author2 |
Laboratoire de glaciologie et géophysique de l'environnement (LGGE) Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers de Grenoble (OSUG) Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP )-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l'environnement et l'agriculture (IRSTEA)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB Université de Savoie Université de Chambéry )-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP )-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l'environnement et l'agriculture (IRSTEA)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB Université de Savoie Université de Chambéry )-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Geophysical Institute Fairbanks University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) Department of Chemistry ERDC Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) USACE Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Taillandier, Anne-Sophie Domine, Florent R. Simpson, William Sturm, Matthew A. Douglas, Thomas |
author_facet |
Taillandier, Anne-Sophie Domine, Florent R. Simpson, William Sturm, Matthew A. Douglas, Thomas |
author_sort |
Taillandier, Anne-Sophie |
title |
Rate of decrease of the specific surface area of dry snow: Isothermal and temperature gradient conditions |
title_short |
Rate of decrease of the specific surface area of dry snow: Isothermal and temperature gradient conditions |
title_full |
Rate of decrease of the specific surface area of dry snow: Isothermal and temperature gradient conditions |
title_fullStr |
Rate of decrease of the specific surface area of dry snow: Isothermal and temperature gradient conditions |
title_full_unstemmed |
Rate of decrease of the specific surface area of dry snow: Isothermal and temperature gradient conditions |
title_sort |
rate of decrease of the specific surface area of dry snow: isothermal and temperature gradient conditions |
publisher |
HAL CCSD |
publishDate |
2007 |
url |
https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-00377486 https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-00377486/document https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-00377486/file/2006JF000514.pdf https://doi.org/10.1029/2006JF000514 |
genre |
taiga Alaska |
genre_facet |
taiga Alaska |
op_source |
ISSN: 2169-9003 EISSN: 2169-9011 Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-00377486 Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 2007, 112 (F03003), 1 à 13 p. ⟨10.1029/2006JF000514⟩ |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1029/2006JF000514 insu-00377486 https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-00377486 https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-00377486/document https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-00377486/file/2006JF000514.pdf doi:10.1029/2006JF000514 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2006JF000514 |
container_title |
Journal of Geophysical Research |
container_volume |
112 |
container_issue |
F3 |
_version_ |
1766214591523586048 |
spelling |
ftunivnantes:oai:HAL:insu-00377486v1 2023-05-15T18:30:58+02:00 Rate of decrease of the specific surface area of dry snow: Isothermal and temperature gradient conditions Taillandier, Anne-Sophie Domine, Florent R. Simpson, William Sturm, Matthew A. Douglas, Thomas Laboratoire de glaciologie et géophysique de l'environnement (LGGE) Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers de Grenoble (OSUG) Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP )-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l'environnement et l'agriculture (IRSTEA)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB Université de Savoie Université de Chambéry )-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP )-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l'environnement et l'agriculture (IRSTEA)-Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB Université de Savoie Université de Chambéry )-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Geophysical Institute Fairbanks University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) Department of Chemistry ERDC Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) USACE Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) 2007 https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-00377486 https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-00377486/document https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-00377486/file/2006JF000514.pdf https://doi.org/10.1029/2006JF000514 en eng HAL CCSD American Geophysical Union/Wiley info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1029/2006JF000514 insu-00377486 https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-00377486 https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-00377486/document https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-00377486/file/2006JF000514.pdf doi:10.1029/2006JF000514 info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess ISSN: 2169-9003 EISSN: 2169-9011 Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-00377486 Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 2007, 112 (F03003), 1 à 13 p. ⟨10.1029/2006JF000514⟩ snow surface area parameterization [SDU.STU.GL]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Glaciology info:eu-repo/semantics/article Journal articles 2007 ftunivnantes https://doi.org/10.1029/2006JF000514 2023-03-01T02:37:46Z International audience The specific surface area (SSA) of snow is the surface area available to gases per unit mass. It is an important variable for quantifying air-snow exchange of chemical species, and it is closely related to other variables such as albedo. Snow SSA decreases during metamorphism, but few data are available to quantify its rate of decrease. We have performed laboratory experiments under isothermal and temperature gradient conditions during which the SSA of snow samples was monitored for several months. We have also monitored the SSA of snowfalls subjected to large temperature gradients at a field site in the central Alaskan taiga. The same snow layers were also monitored in a manipulated snowpack where the temperature gradient was greatly reduced. In all cases, the SSA decay follows a logarithmic equation with three adjustable variables that are parameterized using the initial snow SSA and the time-averaged temperature of the snow. Two parameterizations of the three adjustable variables are found: One applies to the isothermal experiments and to the quasi-isothermal cases studied in Alaska (equitemperature (ET) metamorphism), and the other is applicable to both the laboratory experiments performed under temperature gradients and to the natural snowpack in Alaska (temperature gradient (TG) metamorphism). Higher temperatures accelerate the decrease in SSA, and this decrease is faster under TG than ET conditions. We discuss the conditions of applicability of these parameterizations and use them to speculate on the effect of climate change on snow SSA. Depending on the climate regime, changes in the rate of decay of snow SSA and hence in snow albedo may produce either negative or positive feedbacks on climate change. Article in Journal/Newspaper taiga Alaska Université de Nantes: HAL-UNIV-NANTES Journal of Geophysical Research 112 F3 |