scholarly journals Impact of measured and simulated tundra snowpack properties on heat transfer

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria R. Dutch ◽  
Nick Rutter ◽  
Leanne Wake ◽  
Melody Sandells ◽  
Chris Derksen ◽  
...  

Abstract. Snowpack microstructure controls the transfer of heat to, and the temperature of, the underlying soils. In situ measurements of snow and soil properties from four field campaigns during two different winters (March and November 2018, January and March 2019) were compared to an ensemble of CLM5.0 (Community Land Model) simulations, at Trail Valley Creek, Northwest Territories, Canada. Snow MicroPenetrometer profiles allowed snowpack density and thermal conductivity to be derived at higher vertical resolution (1.25 mm) and a larger sample size (n = 1050) compared to traditional snowpit observations (3 cm vertical resolution; n = 115). Comparing measurements with simulations shows CLM overestimated snow thermal conductivity by a factor of 3, leading to a cold bias in wintertime soil temperatures (RMSE = 5.8 °C). Bias-correction of the simulated thermal conductivity (relative to field measurements) improved simulated soil temperatures (RMSE = 2.1 °C). Multiple linear regression shows the required correction factor is strongly related to snow depth (R2 = 0.77, RMSE = 0.066) particularly early in the winter. Furthermore, CLM simulations did not adequately represent the observed high proportions of depth hoar. Addressing uncertainty in simulated snow properties and the corresponding heat flux is important, as wintertime soil temperatures act as a control on subnivean soil respiration, and hence impact Arctic winter carbon fluxes and budgets.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Dutch ◽  
Nick Rutter ◽  
Leanne Wake ◽  
Mel Sandells ◽  
Chris Derksen ◽  
...  

<p>Tundra snowpack properties are highly heterogenous over a variety of spatial scales and evolve over the course of the winter. Variations in snowpack properties such as snow density and microstructure control the transfer of heat through the snowpack. Thermal properties of the snowpack impact the subnivean environment; snow insulates the underlying soil, allowing films of liquid water to remain unfrozen, enabling biological processes to take place. In this study, field measurements from four field campaigns across two different winters (March and November 2018, January and March 2019) are used to capture and constrain the spatial variability of the snowpack. These include 1050 spatially distributed Snow MicroPenetrometer (SMP) profiles throughout the Trail Valley Creek catchment in the Northwest Territories, Canada. Bespoke coefficients for tundra snowpacks were calculated (based on the work of King et al., 2020) to convert raw SMP force measurements to densities. This allowed density changes of vertical profiles to be assessed and spatial variability in the thickness and properties of three snowpack layers (wind slab, indurated hoar and depth hoar) to be quantified. 105 needleprobe measurements from 37 snowpits were used to contrast the density and thermal conductivity of snowpack layers, as well as thermal conductivities estimated from recalibrated SMP density profiles. These in-situ measurements will be compared to 1-D simulations of snowpack properties from the Community Land Model (PTCLM 5.0) over the two winter seasons. The impact of snowpack layering on snow heat transfer metrics will be investigated using both 2-layer (wind slab: depth hoar) and 3-layer (wind slab: indurated hoar: depth hoar) snowpack configurations. The spatial variability of heat transfer metrics across the Trail Valley Creek catchment will also be considered.</p>


2014 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 1383-1396 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lijing Cheng ◽  
Jiang Zhu

Abstract Assessment of the upper-ocean (0–700 m) heat content (OHC) is a key task for monitoring climate change. However, irregular spatial and temporal distribution of historical subsurface observations has induced uncertainties in OHC estimation. In this study, a new source of uncertainties in calculating OHC due to the insufficiency of vertical resolution in historical ocean subsurface temperature profile observations was diagnosed. This error was examined by sampling a high-vertical-resolution climatological ocean according to the depth intervals of in situ subsurface observations, and then the error was defined as the difference between the OHC calculated by subsampled profiles and the OHC of the climatological ocean. The obtained resolution-induced error appeared to be cold in the upper 100 m (with a peak of approximately −0.1°C), warm within 100–700 m (with a peak of ~0.1°C near 180 m), and warm when averaged over 0–700-m depths (with a global average of ~0.01°–0.025°C, ~1–2.5 × 1022 J). Geographically, it showed a warm bias within 30°S–30°N and a cold bias at higher latitudes in both hemispheres, the sign of which depended on the concave or convex shape of the vertical temperature profiles. Finally, the authors recommend maintaining an unbiased observation system in the future: a minimal vertical depth bin of 5% of the depth was needed to reduce the vertical-resolution-induced bias to less than 0.005°C on global average (equal to Argo accuracy).


2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (10) ◽  
pp. 3139-3158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary M. Subin ◽  
Charles D. Koven ◽  
William J. Riley ◽  
Margaret S. Torn ◽  
David M. Lawrence ◽  
...  

Abstract At high latitudes, changes in soil moisture could alter soil temperatures independently of air temperature changes by interacting with the snow thermal rectifier. The authors investigated this mechanism with model experiments in the Community Land Model 4 (CLM4) with prescribed atmospheric forcing and vegetation state. Under equilibrium historical conditions, increasing CO2 concentrations experienced by plants from 285 to 857 ppm caused local increases in soil water-filled pore space of 0.1–0.2 in some regions throughout the globe. In permafrost regions that experienced this moistening, vertical- and annual- mean soil temperatures increased by up to 3°C (0.27°C averaged over all permafrost areas). A similar pattern of moistening and consequent warming occurred in simulations with prescribed June–September (JJAS) rainfall increases of 25% over historical values, a level of increase commensurate with projected future rainfall increases. There was a strong sensitivity of the moistening responses to the baseline hydrological state. Experiments with perturbed physics confirmed that the simulated warming in permafrost soils was caused by increases in the soil latent heat of fusion per unit volume and in the soil thermal conductivity due to the increased moisture. In transient Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 (RCP8.5) scenario experiments, soil warming due to increased CO2 or JJAS rainfall was smaller in magnitude and spatial extent than in the equilibrium experiments. Active-layer deepening associated with soil moisture changes occurred over less than 8% of the current permafrost area because increased heat of fusion and soil thermal conductivity had compensating effects on active-layer depth. Ongoing modeling challenges make these results tentative.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Clemens-Sewall ◽  
Amy Macfarlane ◽  
Chris Polashenski ◽  
Don Perovich ◽  
Matthias Jaggi ◽  
...  

<p>The spatial heterogeneity of the snow cover on Arctic sea ice impacts the coupled Ice-Ocean-Atmosphere system. This spatial heterogeneity manifests in both the spatial distribution of snow thickness and the material properties of that snow (e.g. density, specific surface area [SSA], thermal conductivity, salinity, etc). This presents a challenge for observing the aggregate snow cover properties. Most material properties can only be measured in-situ and it is logistically difficult to measure material properties at a large number of sites. Here, we address this challenge by integrating repeat Terrestrial Laser Scan (TLS) data and in-situ observations of snow properties on an area several hundred meters across. We used TLS to map the topography of this area at cm-scale vertical resolution on approximately a biweekly basis throughout the winter during MOSAiC. By comparing successive scans, we map the spatial extent of snow layers as they build up the snow cover. Concurrently, we made in-situ penetration resistance force measurements using a SnowMicroPen (SMP) to quantify the snow properties at sites within the measurement area. These weekly point measurements, with 3mm vertical resolution, provide details of the grain type, snow density and SSA stratigraphy. Combining the TLS and SMP observations enables us to extrapolate the layer-wise properties of the snow cover throughout the measurement area. We examine how consistent snow properties are within layers and use this information to quantify aggregate snow cover properties for the entire region. For example, by integrating SMP-derived density with TLS-derived layers we estimate aggregate change in snow mass for this region for selected periods of the winter.</p>


2004 ◽  
Vol 38 ◽  
pp. 314-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Keller ◽  
Christine Pielmeier ◽  
Christian Rixen ◽  
Florian Gadient ◽  
David Gustafsson ◽  
...  

AbstractEarlier studies have indicated that the soil on groomed ski slopes may be subjected to more pronounced cooling than the soil below a natural snowpack. We analyzed the thermal impacts of ski-slope preparation in a sub-alpine ski resort in central Switzerland (1100ma.s.l.) where artificial snow was produced. Physical snow properties and soil temperature measurements were carried out on the ski slope and off-piste during winter 1999/2000. The numerical soil–vegetation–atmosphere transfer model COUP was run for both locations, with a new option to simulate the snowpack development on a groomed ski slope. Snow density, snow hardness and thermal conductivity were significantly higher on the ski slope than in the natural snowpack. However, these differences did not affect the cooling of the soil, since no difference was observed between the ski slope and the natural snow cover. This might be because cold periods were rare and short and thus any snowpack could protect the soil from freezing. The major impact of the ski-slope grooming was a 4 week delay in snowmelt and soil warming at the end of the season. The newly implemented option proved to be a useful strategy for simulating the snowpack of a ski slope. However, snow density was underestimated by the model as it could not account adequately for compaction due to grooming traffic. Our study demonstrates that there is no site-independent answer as to whether a groomed snowpack affects the thermal conditions in the soil.


AIP Advances ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 065015
Author(s):  
Fu Yi ◽  
Xupeng Qi ◽  
Xuexin Zheng ◽  
Huize Yu ◽  
Wenming Bai ◽  
...  

Polymer ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 123726
Author(s):  
Hajime Kishi ◽  
Takashi Saruwatari ◽  
Takemasa Mototsuka ◽  
Sanae Tanaka ◽  
Takeshi Kakibe ◽  
...  

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (14) ◽  
pp. 4863
Author(s):  
Victor Dyomin ◽  
Alexandra Davydova ◽  
Igor Polovtsev ◽  
Alexey Olshukov ◽  
Nikolay Kirillov ◽  
...  

The paper presents an underwater holographic sensor to study marine particles—a miniDHC digital holographic camera, which may be used as part of a hydrobiological probe for accompanying (background) measurements. The results of field measurements of plankton are given and interpreted, their verification is performed. Errors of measurements and classification of plankton particles are estimated. MiniDHC allows measurement of the following set of background data, which is confirmed by field tests: plankton concentration, average size and size dispersion of individuals, particle size distribution, including on major taxa, as well as water turbidity and suspension statistics. Version of constructing measuring systems based on modern carriers of operational oceanography for the purpose of ecological diagnostics of the world ocean using autochthonous plankton are discussed. The results of field measurements of plankton using miniDHC as part of a hydrobiological probe are presented and interpreted, and their verification is carried out. The results of comparing the data on the concentration of individual taxa obtained using miniDHC with the data obtained by the traditional method using plankton catching with a net showed a difference of no more than 23%. The article also contains recommendations for expanding the potential of miniDHC, its purpose indicators, and improving metrological characteristics.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Ghadami ◽  
E. Taheri-Nassaj ◽  
H. R. Baharvandi ◽  
F. Ghadami

AbstractHfB2, Si, and activated carbon powders were selected to fabricate 0–30 vol% SiC reinforced HfB2-based composite. Pressureless sintering process was performed at 2050 °C for 4 h under a vacuum atmosphere. Microstructural studies revealed that in situ SiC reinforcement was formed and distributed in the composite according to the following reaction: Si + C = SiC. A maximum relative density of 98% was measured for the 20 vol% SiC containing HfB2 composite. Mechanical investigations showed that the hardness and the fracture toughness of these composites were increased and reached up to 21.2 GPa for HfB2-30 vol% SiC and 4.9 MPa.m1/2 for HfB2-20 vol% SiC, respectively. Results showed that alpha-SiC reinforcements were created jagged, irregular, and elongated in shape which were in situ formed between HfB2 grains and filled the porosities. Formation of alpha-SiC contributed to improving the relative density and mechanical properties of the composite samples. By increasing SiC content, an enhanced trend of thermal conductivity was observed as well as a reduced trend for electrical conductivity.


Author(s):  
Dezhi Zhang ◽  
Yingru Li ◽  
Zhenliang Yang ◽  
Bingqing Li ◽  
Zhiyi Wang ◽  
...  
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