Measurements and modelling of snowmelt and turbulent heat fluxes over shrub tundra

Measurements of snowmelt and turbulent heat fluxes were made during the snowmelt periods of two years at two neighbouring tundra sites in the Yukon, one in a sheltered location with tall shrubs exposed above deep snow and the other in an exposed location with dwarf shrubs covered by shallow snow. Th...

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Main Authors: D. Bewley, R. Essery, J. Pomeroy, C. Ménard
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2010-07-01
Series:Hydrology and Earth System Sciences
Online Access:http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/14/1331/2010/hess-14-1331-2010.pdf
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author D. Bewley
R. Essery
J. Pomeroy
C. Ménard
author_facet D. Bewley
R. Essery
J. Pomeroy
C. Ménard
author_sort D. Bewley
collection DOAJ
description Measurements of snowmelt and turbulent heat fluxes were made during the snowmelt periods of two years at two neighbouring tundra sites in the Yukon, one in a sheltered location with tall shrubs exposed above deep snow and the other in an exposed location with dwarf shrubs covered by shallow snow. The snow was about twice as deep in the valley as on the plateau at the end of each winter and melted out about 10 days later. The site with buried vegetation showed a transition from air-to-surface heat transfers to surface-to-air heat transfers as bare ground became exposed during snowmelt, but there were daytime transfers of heat from the surface to the air at the site with exposed vegetation even while snow remained on the ground. A model calculating separate energy balances for snow and exposed vegetation, driven with meteorological data from the sites, is found to be able to reproduce these behaviours. Averaged over 30-day periods the model gives about 8 Wm<sup>−2</sup> more sensible heat flux to the atmosphere for the valley site than for the plateau site. Sensitivity of simulated fluxes to model parameters describing vegetation cover and density is investigated.
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spelling doaj.art-92ba2f809ab848a29b00e8ece70ded4c2022-12-21T23:16:50ZengCopernicus PublicationsHydrology and Earth System Sciences1027-56061607-79382010-07-011471331134010.5194/hess-14-1331-2010Measurements and modelling of snowmelt and turbulent heat fluxes over shrub tundraD. BewleyR. EsseryJ. PomeroyC. MénardMeasurements of snowmelt and turbulent heat fluxes were made during the snowmelt periods of two years at two neighbouring tundra sites in the Yukon, one in a sheltered location with tall shrubs exposed above deep snow and the other in an exposed location with dwarf shrubs covered by shallow snow. The snow was about twice as deep in the valley as on the plateau at the end of each winter and melted out about 10 days later. The site with buried vegetation showed a transition from air-to-surface heat transfers to surface-to-air heat transfers as bare ground became exposed during snowmelt, but there were daytime transfers of heat from the surface to the air at the site with exposed vegetation even while snow remained on the ground. A model calculating separate energy balances for snow and exposed vegetation, driven with meteorological data from the sites, is found to be able to reproduce these behaviours. Averaged over 30-day periods the model gives about 8 Wm<sup>−2</sup> more sensible heat flux to the atmosphere for the valley site than for the plateau site. Sensitivity of simulated fluxes to model parameters describing vegetation cover and density is investigated.http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/14/1331/2010/hess-14-1331-2010.pdf
spellingShingle D. Bewley
R. Essery
J. Pomeroy
C. Ménard
Measurements and modelling of snowmelt and turbulent heat fluxes over shrub tundra
Hydrology and Earth System Sciences
title Measurements and modelling of snowmelt and turbulent heat fluxes over shrub tundra
title_full Measurements and modelling of snowmelt and turbulent heat fluxes over shrub tundra
title_fullStr Measurements and modelling of snowmelt and turbulent heat fluxes over shrub tundra
title_full_unstemmed Measurements and modelling of snowmelt and turbulent heat fluxes over shrub tundra
title_short Measurements and modelling of snowmelt and turbulent heat fluxes over shrub tundra
title_sort measurements and modelling of snowmelt and turbulent heat fluxes over shrub tundra
url http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/14/1331/2010/hess-14-1331-2010.pdf
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AT jpomeroy measurementsandmodellingofsnowmeltandturbulentheatfluxesovershrubtundra
AT cmenard measurementsandmodellingofsnowmeltandturbulentheatfluxesovershrubtundra