Treatment of frozen soil and snow cover in the land surface model SEWAB

Summary  The land surface model SEWAB (Surface Energy and Water Balance) is designed to be coupled to both, atmospheric and hydrological models. Its application in mid and high latitudes requires the inclusion of freezing and thawing processes within the soil and the accumulation and ablation of a snow cover. These winter processes are parameterised with a minimum number of empirical formulations in order to assure reasonable computation times for an application in climate and sensitivity studies yet accounting for all important processes. Meteorological forcing data and measurements of snow depth, soil temperature and liquid soil water content at two locations in the mid-west of North America are used to test the model. Generally the simulated snow depth matches the measurements, remaining differences in snow depth can be explained by uncertainties in snow density, blowing snow and errors in precipitation measurements. The simulated soil temperature and liquid soil water content compare well with the measurements, showing the isolating effect of the snow cover. Received August 25, 2000 Revised January 19, 2001     

Assessing the Impacts of Initial Snow Conditions over the Tibetan Plateau on China Precipitation Prediction Using a Global Climate Model

Two ensemble experiments were conducted using a general atmospheric circulation model. These experiments were used to investigate the impacts of initial snow anomalies over the Tibetan Plateau（TP） on China precipitation prediction. In one of the experiments, the initial snow conditions over the TP were climatological values; while in the other experiment, the initial snow anomalies were snow depth estimates derived from the passive microwave remote-sensing data. In the current study, the difference between these two experiments was assessed to evaluate the impact of initial snow anomalies over the TP on simulated precipitation. The results indicated that the model simulation for precipitation over eastern China had certain improvements while applying a more realistic initial snow anomaly, especially for spring precipitation over Northeast China and North China and for summer precipitation over North China and Southeast China. The results suggest that seasonal prediction could be enhanced by using more realistic initial snow conditions over TP, and microwave remote-sensing snow data could be used to initialize climate models and improve the simulation of eastern China precipitation during spring and summer. Further analyses showed that higher snow anomalies over TP cooled the surface, resulting in lower near- surface air temperature over the TP in spring and summer. The surface cooling over TP weakened the Asian summer monsoon and brought more precipitation in South China in spring and more precipitation to Southeast China during summer.     

改进的CLDAS降水驱动对中国区域积雪模拟的影响评估

积雪因为其特定的属性在气候变化和水文循环中扮演着重要角色,在大气和陆面之间起到了调节能量和水交换的显著作用,而陆面驱动数据的质量直接决定着模式对积雪的模拟效果。本文采用CLDAS(CMA Land Data Assimilation System)和改进后的降水驱动(CLDAS-Prcp)分别驱动Noah3.6陆面模式对积雪变量进行模拟,并对中国主要的积雪区东北区域、新疆区域、青藏高原区域的积雪覆盖率、雪深、雪水当量的模拟效果进行了评估。结果表明,CLDAS-Prcp改善了原有驱动在冬季由于低估降水所造成的模拟积雪量偏少的情况;东北区域模拟结果与观测的时间变率最为一致,积雪覆盖率、雪深、雪水当量的相关系数分别为0.42,0.78,0.93;而雪水当量的改进效果最明显,均方根误差和偏差分别减小了54.8%和83.1%,相关系数提高了0.47;同时,CLDAS-Prcp不仅能反映积雪变量的年际变率,而且能够较准确地反映出强度较大的突发降雪事件。     

A comparison of four snow models using observations from an alpine site

 Results from four snow models-two used in climate models, one being developed for hydrological forecasting and one used for avalanche forecasting-are compared with observations made during two contrasting winters at a site in the French Alps. The models are all driven with hourly measurements of air temperature, windspeed, humidity, snowfall and downward longwave and shortwave radiation, but they differ greatly in complexity. Results from the models are compared with measurements of snowdepth, snow water equivalent, surface temperature, runoff and albedo. The models all represent the duration of snow cover well, but differ in their predictions of peak accumulation and timing of runoff. Experience gained in this study is used to make recommendations for a more ambitious intercomparison between a larger number of models for a wide range of environments. Received: 31 July 1998 / Accepted: 12 February 1999     

The use of satellite information for precomputing the snowmelt runoff hydrograph

A technique is proposed of precomputing the snowmelt runoff hydrograph on the basis of physical and mathematical models of river runoff formation, available standard data of surface hydrometeorological measurements, and satellite measurements of Earth’s surface conditions. The computations were carried out for two regions including the basins of the Vyatka and Don rivers. It is demonstrated that, in spite of the possible errors and gaps depending on meteorological conditions, the satellite snow cover measurements can be an important addition to the surface measurements for simulating a spatial picture of the runoff formation. The use of physical and mathematical models of the runoff formation enables to reduce the errors of satellite snow cover data and to ensure the spatiotemporal continuity of its monitoring.     

Progress in understanding of land surface/atmosphere exchanges at high latitudes

Summary  This paper summarises some of the key results from two European field programmes, WINTEX and LAPP, undertaken in the Boreal/Arctic regions in 1996–98. Both programmes have illustrated the very important role that snow plays within these areas, not only in the determination of energy, water and carbon fluxes in the winter, but also in controlling the length of the summer active season, and hence the overall carbon budget. These studies make a considerable advance in our knowledge of the fluxes from snow-covered landscape and the interactions between snow and vegetation. Also some of the first measurements of greenhouse gas fluxes (carbon dioxide and methane) are reported for the European arctic and sub-arctic. The measurements show a considerable variability across the arctic, with very high instantaneous values from sub-arctic birch and fen areas and extremely low fluxes reported from the polar desert in the high arctic. The overall annual budgets are everywhere limited by the very short active season in these regions. The heat flux over a high latitude boreal forest during late winter was found to be high. At low solar angles the forest shades most of the snow surface, therefore an important part of the radiation never reaches the snow surface but is absorbed by the forest. This indicates that in areas with sparse vegetation and low solar angles, absorption of direct solar radiation is due to an apparent vegetation cover, which is much greater than the actual one. The first steps are taken in using these measurements to improve models, both point soil/vegetation/atmosphere transfer schemes and 3D meteorogical models. The results are encouraging; increasing the realism progressively improves the representation of the fluxes. A start is made in developing landscape, or catchment scale models. There seems to be some hope that comparatively simple relationships between evaporation and photosynthesis and leaf area may be sufficiently robust to allow the use of remotely sensed images to investigate the areally averaged exchanges. It is suspected that high latitude regions will experience considerable climatic and environmental change in the coming decades. A well found prediction of how these regions will respond requires a comprehensive knowledge of how vegetation will respond and how the changed vegetation will interact with the snow cover and the atmosphere. The studies from the LAPP and WINTEX programmes presented in this volume are an important contribution to this understanding and provide a useful foundation for future research. Received March 6, 2001     

On Shear-Driven Ventilation of Snow

A series of experiments have been made in a wind tunnel to investigate the ventilation of snow by shear. We argue that the zero-plane displacement can be used as a convenient indicator of ventilation, and that this can be obtained from measurements of mean velocity profiles in conditions of zero pressure gradient. Measurements made over a natural snow surface show a zero-plane displacement depth of less than 5 mm, but practical considerations preclude extensive use of snow for these measurements. Instead, the influence of permeability is investigated using reticulated foams in place of snow. We demonstrate that the foam and snow have similar structure and flow-relevant properties. Although the surface of the foam is flat, the roughness lengths increase by two orders of magnitude as the permeability increases from 6 × 10⁻⁹ to 160 × 10⁻⁹ m². The zero-plane displacement for the least permeable foams is effectively zero, but more than 15 mm for the most permeable foams. Our data compare well to the few studies available in the literature. By analogy to conditions over snow surfaces, we suggest that shear-driven ventilation of snow is therefore limited to the upper few millimetres of snow surfaces.     

The surface energy balance of a snow cover: comparing measurements to two differentsimulation models

Summary  We compared two one-dimensional simulation models for heat and water fluxes in the soil-snow-atmosphere system with respect to their mathematical formulations of the surface heat exchange and the snow pack evolution. They were chosen as examples of a simple one-layer snow model and a more detailed multiple-layer snow model (SNTHERM). The snow models were combined with the same one-dimensional model for the heat and water balance of the underlying soil (CoupModel). Data from an arable field in central Sweden (Marsta), covering two years (1997–1999) of soil temperature, snow depth and eddy-correlation measurements were successfully compared with the models. Conditions with a snow pack deeper or shallower than 10 cm and bare soil resulted in similar discrepancies. The simulated net radiation and sensible heat flux were in good agreement with that measured during snow-covered periods, except for situations with snowmelt when the downward sensible heat flux was overestimated by 10–20 Wm⁻². The results showed that the uncertainties in parameter values were more important than the model formulation and that both models were useful in evaluating the limitations and uncertainties of the measurements. Received November 1, 1999 Revised April 20, 2000     

利用SSM/I数据判识我国及周边地区雪盖

积雪参数是气候学和水文学研究中所需的重要物理量, 确保积雪参数测定的准确性与及时性对于气候学研究、水文应用以及防灾减灾都非常重要。利用微波数据可获取有云存在时的积雪覆盖图, 遥感雪深和雪水当量信息。采用微波数据判识雪盖并得到积雪状态 (干、湿) 信息, 不仅可以弥补利用光学遥感数据判识雪盖的不足之处, 而且也是利用微波数据反演雪深和雪水当量参数必需的先期工作。该文介绍利用SSM/I的多频双极化微波数据开展我国及周边地区积雪判识方法研究的结果。分析国外全球判识方法的雪盖判识结果指出, 国外算法易在青藏高原等地区将冻土误判为积雪, 造成雪盖面积的偏高估计。研究给出了在我国及周边地区 (17°~57°N, 65°~145°E) 利用SSM/I数据判识积雪的改进方法, 在完成积雪判识的同时还给出了雪深和积雪状态的定性信息, 与已有全球雪盖判识方法相比有较大改进, 大大减小了青藏高原等地区冻土对积雪判识的影响。     

Comparison of weather station snowfall with winter snow accumulation in high arctic basins

Abstract

Most water balance studies in the High Arctic indicate that the weather stations underestimate annual precipitation, but the magnitude of such error is unknown. Based on up to seven years of field measurements, this study provides a comparison of snowfall at weather stations with the winter snow accumulation in their nearby drainage basins.

Snowfall is the major form of precipitation in the polar region for nine months every year. Without vegetation, snowdrift is controlled by the local terrain. By establishing the snow characteristics for different terrain types, total basin snow storage can be obtained by areally weighting the snow cover for various terrain units in the basin. Such a method was successfully employed to compute total winter snowfall in the drainage basins near Resolute, Eureka and Mould Bay. Results show that the basins had 130 to 300per cent more snow than the weather stations recorded. Using revised snowfall values that are reinforced by Koerner's snow core measurements from ice‐caps, it is hoped that a more realistic precipitation map can be provided for the High Arctic.     

一种浸润冻结机制冰核测量装置(FINDA)的搭建与应用

为了定量评估降水（雨、雪、雹等）和大气中冰核浓度,搭建了一种新型的离线式冰核测量装置（FINDA）用于检测浸润冻结机制的冰核。对多通道测温元件进行了改装和校准,并利用红外热成像仪动态校准了冷台水平温差,开发了自动化软件实现对测量过程的控制和数据分析。通过超纯水冻结实验、雪水及大气样品中冰核检验评估了FINDA的测量性能。结果表明,FINDA温度测量偏差随温度降低而线性增大,?25℃时误差为±0.75℃;超纯水初始冻结温度平均为?21.27±1.45℃,中值冻结温度（T₅₀）平均为?25.65±0.64℃;对同一降雪融水样品中冰核浓度温度谱检测,FINDA与其他冻滴设备测量结果基本一致,同冰核浓度下温度偏差小于3℃;大气样品中冰核?20℃时比在线连续流量扩散云室测量值略高,与国际上其他学者的结论一致。FINDA能够有效获得0—?25℃每隔0.25℃的冰核浓度谱,超纯水和试验操作引入的冰核对测量结果影响很小。设备的广泛应用可帮助深入了解大气冰核在混合云降水中的作用,为预报和云模式的本地化改进及对云降水理论研究提供重要的实验数据和理论基础。      

Characterizing the distribution of observed precipitation and runoff over the continental United States

This paper describes the development of a comprehensive geographic database of historical precipitation and runoff measurements for the conterminous U.S. The database is used in a spatial analysis to characterize large scale precipitation and runoff patterns and to assess the utility and limitations of using historical hydro-meteorological data for providing spatially distributed precipitation estimates at regional and continental scales. Long-term annual average precipitation (P) and runoff (Q) surfaces (geographically referenced, digital representations of a continuous spatial distribution) generated from interpolation of point measurements are used in a distributed water balance calculation to check the reliability of precipitation estimates. The resulting input-output values (P- Q) illustrate the deficiency (sparse distribution and low elevation bias) of historical precipitation measurements in the mountainous western U.S. where snowmelt is an important component of the annual runoff. The incorporation of high elevation snow measurements into the precipitation record significantly improves the water balance estimates in some areas and enhances the utility of historical data for providing spatially distributed precipitation estimates in topographically diverse regions. Regions where the use of historical precipitation data may be most limited for precipitation estimation are identified and alternatives to the use of interpolated historical data for precipitation estimation across large heterogenous regions are suggested. The research establishes a database for continental scale studies and provides direction for the successful development of spatially distributed regional scale water balance models.     

Modelling Small-Scale Drifting Snow with a Lagrangian Stochastic Model Based on Large-Eddy Simulations

Observations of drifting snow on small scales have shown that, in spite of nearly steady winds, the snow mass flux can strongly fluctuate in time and space. Most drifting snow models, however, are not able to describe drifting snow accurately over short time periods or on small spatial scales as they rely on mean flow fields and assume equilibrium saltation. In an attempt to gain understanding of the temporal and spatial variability of drifting snow on small scales, we propose to use a model combination of flow fields from large-eddy simulations (LES) and a Lagrangian stochastic model to calculate snow particle trajectories and so infer snow mass fluxes. Model results show that, if particle aerodynamic entrainment is driven by the shear stress retrieved from the LES, we can obtain a snow mass flux varying in space and time. The obtained fluctuating snow mass flux is qualitatively compared to field and wind-tunnel measurements. The comparison shows that the model results capture the intermittent behaviour of observed drifting snow mass flux yet differences between modelled turbulent structures and those likely to be found in the field complicate quantitative comparisons. Results of a model experiment show that the surface shear-stress distribution and its influence on aerodynamic entrainment appear to be key factors in explaining the intermittency of drifting snow.     

1960年以来东亚季风区云-降水微物理的直接观测研究

云-降水的直接观测结果是云微物理参数化的重要依据。自1960年以来,处于东亚季风影响下的中国实施了大量对云-降水微物理参数的观测和研究,旨在加深对云-降水微物理过程的认识,从而改进数值模式中云微物理参数化方案和指导人工影响天气作业。云-降水微物理参数包括气溶胶、冰核、云滴、雨滴、冰晶、雪晶、冰雹等粒子浓度和谱分布,以及云滴、雨滴含水量等。中国已有云-降水微物理参数的成果可归纳为:(1)通常云-降水微物理粒子浓度变化较大,但总体变化有一定的范围;(2)采用Γ函数拟合云滴谱更接近实际谱,但不同拟合谱参数差异较大;(3)可用指数函数和Γ函数来拟合层状云降水雨滴谱,Γ函数拟合积云和层积混合云降水雨滴谱精度更高;(4)中国冰核浓度较高,冰核浓度随温度的降低近似成指数变化;(5)冰晶谱、雪晶谱、冰雹谱通常采用指数函数来描述;(6)通常使用荣格(Junge)和Γ函数来分段描述气溶胶粒子谱拟合误差更小。由于云-降水过程及其反馈作用描述不准确是数值模式预报结果不确定性的最大因素,中国正在不断地推进云降水的微物理观测研究,以期进一步加深对东亚季风区云-降水微物理特征的认识,从而为模式中微物理参数化方案的改进提供观测依据和科学指导。基于数值预报模式中云微物理过程参数化发展的需要,总结了中国1960年以来云-降水微物理直接观测的研究成果,可为东亚地区云-降水微物理研究及其模式参数化方案的改进提供观测依据。此外,针对云微物理参化发展的需求,结合过去已有的大量观测提出了几点建议,为今后云-降水物理综合性观测方案的设计提供参考。     

Passive microwave signatures of landscapes in winter

Summary The successful application of passive microwave sensors requires signatures for the unambiguous inversion of the remote sensing data. Due to the large number of object types and large variability of physical properties, the inversion of data from land surfaces is a delicate and often ambiguous task. The present paper is a contribution to the assessment of multi-frequency passive microwave signatures of typical objects on land in winter. We discuss the behaviour of measured emissivities at vertical and horizontal polarization over the frequency range of 5 to 100 GHz (incidence angle of 50 degrees) of water and bare soil surfaces, grass and snowcovers under various conditions. These data and their variabilities lead us toward a classificaion algorithm for some, but not all object classes. Most snowcovers can easily be discriminated from other surfaces, difficulties occur for fresh powder snow if 94 GHz data are not available. The problem of wet snow has found a solution by using a certain combination of observables.In addition to snowcover types we find large differences between frozen and unfrozen bare soil. On the other hand the different situations of grasscovers show all very similar emissivities.For the estimation of physical parameters we propose algorithms for certain object classes. The estimation of surface temperature, especially for snow-free land, seems to be feasible, also the estimation of the snow liquid water content at the surface. For estimating soil moisture lower frequencies (e.g. 1.4 GHz) should be used.For the estimation of the Water Equivalent, WE, we cannot yet find a definitive solution. Certain correlations exist for dry winter snow between WE and observables at frequencies between 10 and 35 GHz. Especially the polarization difference at 10 GHz shows a monotonous increase with increasing WE. Algorithms using higher frequencies are more sensitive to WE, however, they are subject to ambiguities.With 7 Figures     

Long-term investigations on the water budget quantities predicted by the hydro-thermodynamic soil vegetation scheme (HTSVS) – Part II: Evaluation, sensitivity, and uncertainty

Summary ¶Various water budget elements (water supply to the atmosphere, ground water recharge, change in storage) are predicted by HTSVS for a period of 2050 days. The predicted water budget elements are evaluated by routine lysimeter data. The results show that land surface models need parameterizations for soil frost, snow effects and water uptake to catch the broad cycle of soil water budget elements. In principle, HTSVS is able to simulate the general characteristics of the seasonal changes in these water budget elements and their long-term accumulated sums. Compared to lysimeter data, there is a discrepancy in the predicted water supply to the atmosphere for summer and winter which may be attributed to the hardly observed plant physiological parameters like root depth, LAI, shielding factor, etc., the lack of measured downward long-wave radiation, and some simplifications made in the parameterizations of soil frost and snow effects. The fact that high resolution data for the evaluation of model results are missing and evaluation is made on the basis of the data from routine stations of a network is typical for the results of long-term studies on climate. Taking into account the coarse resolution of climate models, the coarse vertical resolution that is used in their LSMs, and the lack of suitable parameters needed, it seems that discrepancies in the order of magnitude found in this study are a general uncertainty in the results of land surface modeling on typical spatial and temporal scales of the climate system.Received October 8, 2001; revised February 15, 2002; accepted September 20, 2002 Published online: April 10, 2003     

Application of global snow model for the estimation of snow depth in the UK

Microwave imagery can be used successfully for mapping of snow and estimation of snow pack characteristics under almost all weather conditions. This research is a contribution to the field of space borne remote sensing of snow by means of passive microwave data imagery. The satellite data are acquired from the Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I). The SSM/I is a four frequency seven channels dual polarization (except 22 GHz which is only vertically polarized) scanning radiometer with channels located at 19, 22, 37, and 85 GHz frequencies. A radiative transfer theory based model is used to estimate the snow cover characteristics of different snow pack types in the UK. A revised form of the Chang et al. (Nord Hydrol 16:57–66, 1987) model is used for this purpose. The revised Chang model was calibrated for global snow monitoring and takes into account forest fractional coverage effects. Snow cover characteristics have significant effects on up-welling naturally emitted microwave radiation through the processes of forward scattering. The up-welling signal is more complex for snow covers that consist of free liquid water content. The aim of this study is to test the global snow depth model for the UK snow cover. The Chang model predicted snow depth bias results for January, February, and March 1995 are ?1.26, ?0.35, and ?0.63 cm, respectively. Similarly, the Chang model Mean Absolute Error (MAE) for January, February, and March 1995 have values 2.88, 2.38, and 1.91 cm, respectively. These results show that the Chang model underestimates the snow depth prediction for all the case studies. The results of this study led us to the conclusion that the global snow models (Chang model) when applied for the retrieval of local snow depth estimation (UK snow cover) underestimate snow depth.     

Mean Profiles of Moisture Fluxes in Snow-Filled Boundary Layers

Profiles of moisture fluxes have been examined for convective boundary layers containing clouds and snow, using data derived from aircraft measurements taken on four dates during the 1983/1984 University of Chicago lake-effect snow project. Flux profiles were derived from vertical stacks of aircraft cross-wind flight legs taken at various heights over Lake Michigan near the downwind shore. It was found that, if ice processes are taken into account, profiles of potential temperature and water content were very similar to those presented in past studies of convective boundary layers strongly heated from below. Profiles of total water content and equivalent potential temperature adjusted for ice were nearly invariant with height, except very near the top of the boundary layer, suggesting that internal boundary-layer mixing processes were rapid relative to the rates at which heat and vapour were transported into the boundary layer through entrainment and surface fluxes. Ice was found to play a significant, measurable role in boundary-layer moisture fluxes. It was estimated that 40 to 57% of the upward vapour flux was returned to the surface in the form of snow, converting about 45 to 64% of the surface latent heat flux into sensible heat in the snow-producing process. Assuming advective fluxes are relatively small (thought to be appropriate after the first few tens of km over the lake as suggested by past studies), the boundary layer was found to warm at a rate faster than could be explained by surface heat fluxes and latent heat releases alone, the remainder of the heating presumably coming from radiational processes and entrainment. Discussions of moisture phase change processes throughout the boundary layer and estimates of errors of these flux measurements are presented.     

CCM3模式中LSM积雪方案的改进研究(Ⅰ):修改方案介绍及其单点试验

为了改进美国NCARCCM3全球模式中LSM陆面模型中的积雪方案的模拟效果,在Sun等[1]SAST积雪模型的基础上,作了部分修改后,加进CCM3模式LSM模型中.该方案根据格点区域平均积雪深度的不同,把地面雪盖划分为1到3层不等,能在积雪表层和中间层更好地描述温度的日变化和季节变化;较详细地考虑了雪的热传导、太阳辐射的穿透吸收、雪的融化、液态水的储存、渗透和再冻结等积雪内部的主要物理过程;根据Nimbus-7卫星实测雪深资料修改了积雪覆盖度和雪面反照率的计算方案.利用前苏联6个台站1978-1983年的实测积雪资料和大气强迫数据,进行了单点模拟试验,结果表明,新的积雪参数化方案能够较好地再现积雪深度和雪水当量的逐日和季节变化特征,部分提高了积雪参数化方案对积雪的模拟能力.     

Predicting Snow Depth in a Forest–Tundra Landscape using a Conceptual Model Allowing for Snow Redistribution and Constrained by Observations from a Digital Camera

Estimation of snow depth in the forest–tundra landscape remains a challenge because of a lack of reliable and frequent observations on precipitation and snow depth. Snow models forced by gridded meteorological datasets are often the only option available for assessing snow depth at the local scale. Unfortunately, these models generally do not take into account the snow redistribution process between open and forested areas which frequently occurs in the forest–tundra landscape. A simple modification to an existing snow accumulation and melt model is proposed in order to allow for snow redistribution. Along with a technique for taking advantage of snow depth observations obtained from a digital camera, the model is shown to provide accurate predictions of snow depth at the local scale when forced with precipitation data from Environment Canada's Canadian Precipitation Analysis. Results from this study suggest that instrumenting automated weather stations with a digital camera, together with small modifications to an existing model used operationally for snow depth prediction, could result in significant improvements to snow depth prediction and analysis in this environment. Further testing at sites where snow water equivalent of the snowpack is available should, however, be performed to fully validate the method.