Modelling Seasonally Freezing Ground Conditions.

Abstract

This project aims to model the spatial distribution of snowcover in areas experiencing seasonally frozen ground. The modelling of snow distribution will form the main part of the project (program SNOWM), with the possible coupling of this, at some stage, to a ground temperature model. Operational criteria for the proposed snow distribution model (SNOWM) include: a) Satisfactory numerical and a real representation of snow accumulation and melt at any one time, resulting in knowledge of the snowcover distribution at one time; b) SNOWM will be a physically-based model and an amalgam of the main types of snowmelt models currently in existence, i.e. the energy-budget and the temperature index; and c) Aspect is specifically included in SNOWM. In areas not exposed to rapid, frequent air mass and therefore air temperature changes (i.e. unlike Britain) solar insolation is the dominant factor affecting snow distribution, especially during the melt season. Aspect is one of the most important factors effecting solar insolation and therefore snow distribution.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jul 01, 1987
Accession Number
ADA190951

Entities

People

  • K. M. Sambles
  • Malcolm G. Anderson

Organizations

  • University of Bristol

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Temperature
  • Cells
  • Cold Regions
  • Drainage Basins
  • Energy
  • Engineering
  • Equations
  • Heat Capacity
  • Heat Energy
  • Heat Of Fusion
  • Latent Heat
  • Radiation
  • Regions
  • Solar Radiation
  • Specific Heat
  • Surface Temperature
  • Transition Temperature

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Modeling, Data Assimilation, and Flux Boundary Layers
  • Polar and Arctic Studies
  • Theoretical Analysis.