Representing heterogeneous snow accumulation and melt in snowmelt models
Abstract
Patchy snow due to drifting and shading is commonly ignored in large scale hydrologic models, with an assumption that in a large enough cell the effects `average out'. Because of strong non-linearity in melt processes, however, treating the snowpack with uniform accumulation and melt in large model elements can lead to large errors. For example, differential accumulation and melt of mountain snowpacks can shift center of spring runoff timing on the order of a month to a few months compared to expectations based on a uniform snowpack. Here we develop the theory of melt and flow recession as an emergent characteristic from heterogeneity in snowpack accumulation and melt. While previous work has demonstrated the ties between differential accumulation and depletion of snowpacks, the importance of differential melt in concert with differential accumulation is less well explored. We develop a framework for showing the combined effects of joint spatial variability. Further, we relate the information to alternative methods for estimating snow depletion curves.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2016
- Bibcode:
- 2016AGUFM.C14C..03L
- Keywords:
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- 0736 Snow;
- CRYOSPHEREDE: 0740 Snowmelt;
- CRYOSPHEREDE: 0742 Avalanches;
- CRYOSPHEREDE: 1863 Snow and ice;
- HYDROLOGY