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Research Project:
Influence of Sub-Grid Variability on Snow Deposition and Ablation in North American Mountain Environments
Location:
Watershed Management Research
Project Number: 5362-13610-006-06
Project Type:
Reimbursable
Start Date: Feb 05, 2003
End Date: Feb 05, 2007
Objective:
The proposed project will facilitate the identification of how the predictive accuracy of mountain snowcover representations in meso-scale models can be improved by addressing the following research questions: 1. How do snowcover distribution and energy balance terms differ with terrain and canopy structure, and with altitude and latitude? 2. How can parameterizations of both the development and melting of the seasonal snowcover be applied at different spatial scales in heterogeneous landscapes? 3. What is the minimum complexity required to capture the essential features of snow deposition and ablation over a complex, vegetated landscape? These objectives support the GAPP priority Hydrometeorology of Orographic Systems by investigating the effect of Western Cordillera mountain environments on cold-season hydrological process and the priority Predictability of Land Surface Processes by improving the simulation of the effects of vegetation on the seasonal production of snowmelt, and through the development of spatial scaling methodologies. These objectives ultimately support the broader NOAA OGP goals of improving the predictability of the effects of climate change on hydrometeorological processes.
Approach:
The research objectives will be accomplished through complementary measurement and modeling programs. The proposed research methodology is: A. Conduct focused field campaigns at three Western Cordilleran sites to provide data to:
1. Describe the spatial and temporal variations in snowcover properties in relation to terrain and vegetation characteristics, 2. Support the parameterization, initialization, development and evaluation of process-based algorithms, and 3. Suggest mechanisms for describing sub-grid variability and/or scaling from process scales to the meso-scale. B. Simulate the spatial and temporal interaction of fine scale processes through the development and evaluation of small-scale process-based models of snowmelt energetics and snow-cover depletion in topographically complex, vegetated terrain, and develop scaling methodologies to improve the representation of these processes in larger-scale models. Documents Reimbursable with NOAA. Log 22532.
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