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Canopy effects on snow sublimation from a central Arizona Basin
Author(s) -
Svoma Bohumil M.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: atmospheres
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-8996
pISSN - 2169-897X
DOI - 10.1002/2016jd025184
Subject(s) - canopy , snowpack , snow , environmental science , sublimation (psychology) , atmospheric sciences , eddy covariance , shortwave radiation , longwave , hydrology (agriculture) , structural basin , wind speed , snowmelt , meteorology , radiative transfer , ecosystem , geology , geography , radiation , ecology , psychology , paleontology , physics , geotechnical engineering , archaeology , quantum mechanics , psychotherapist , biology
Guided by 30 m terrain and forest cover data, snow sublimation from the Salt River basin in the Southwest U.S. is simulated for years 2008 (wet year) and 2007 (dry year). Downscaled meteorological input correlates well ( r ~0.80) with independent observations at AmeriFlux sites. Additionally, model correlation and bias with eddy‐covariance vapor flux observations is comparable to previous localized modeling efforts. Upon a 30% reduction in effective leaf area index, canopy sublimation decreases by 1.29 mm (27.0%) and 1.05 mm (23.0%) at the basin scale for the 2008 and 2007 simulations, respectively. Ground sublimation decreases 0.72 mm (4.75%) in 2008 and only 0.17 mm (1.5%) in 2007. Canopy snow‐holding capacity and frequent unloading events at lower elevations limit the variability in canopy sublimation from wet year to dry year at the basin scale. The greater decrease in snowpack sublimation in the wet year is partly due to decreased longwave radiation from the canopy reduction over a more extensive snowpack than the dry year. This decrease overcomes the increased solar radiation and wind speed during winter. A second factor is that a greater extent of the snowpack persisted into spring in 2008 than 2007, and the large increase in shortwave flux upon canopy reduction increases melt rates, reducing duration. Only in heavily forested high elevations (>2900 m above sea level) in 2008 does the snowpack persist long enough into spring to result in increased ground sublimation upon canopy reduction. As forest cover change can occur rapidly, these results are critical from water resource and ecosystem function perspectives.