Open AccessGrowth and fluctuations of suncups on alpine snowpacks
Author(s) -
Mitchell Kevin A.,
Tiedje T.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: earth surface
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2010jf001724
Subject(s) - snow , glacier , albedo (alchemy) , snowmelt , nonlinear system , atmospheric sciences , field (mathematics) , geology , diffusion , environmental science , meteorology , statistical physics , climatology , physics , mathematics , geomorphology , thermodynamics , art , quantum mechanics , performance art , pure mathematics , art history
A mathematical model for suncups on glacier and alpine snow during the summer melting season is compared with time‐lapse field observations. The model consists of a nonlinear partial differential equation whose solution spontaneously forms quasi‐periodic patterns similar to suncups when started from a random initial condition. The suncup patterns are found to fully develop in 5 days in the field under full sun. The patterns fluctuate chaotically in time, both in the observations and in the model. The fluctuations can be described mathematically in terms of diffusion of individual suncups. According to the model, the rate at which the suncups diffuse contains information about the effect of the suncups on the albedo of the snow.