Potential Drivers and Spatiotemporal Variability of Rain-on-Snow Events
Abstract
Rain-on-Snow (ROS) events can result in exceptional runoff in mid and high-latitude regions across the world - an issue that has recently been identified as one of the 23 unsolved problems in hydrology. Advected energy carried over to the accumulated snow by liquid rain expedites the melting process, which is often exacerbated by reduced infiltration due to frozen ground. The result is rapid runoff that often leads to catastrophic flooding (e.g., the recent Yellowstone flooding). Therefore, understanding the characteristics of ROS-induced flooding is crucial for better flood monitoring and forecasting. Here, we analyzed a wide range of factors to assess their role in the occurrence of ROS floods. The analysis focused on variables aggregated to the CAMELS (Catchment Attributes and Meteorology for Large-sample Studies) catchments and assessed their relevance in terms of predictability (using random forest) and causality (using convergent cross mapping). The analysis was expanded to look into ROS events of different intensities separately. The trends in the frequencies and magnitudes of ROS events were assessed to study their spatiotemporal variability. Additionally, we also examined how ROS events are impacted by teleconnections.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2022
- Bibcode:
- 2022AGUFM.H32N1098R