Sublimation of Snow from Coniferous Forests in a Climate Model

Improved representations of snow interception by coniferous forest canopies and sublimation of intercepted snow are implemented in a land surface model. Driven with meteorological observations from forested sites in Canada, the United States, and Sweden, the modified model is found to give reduced s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of climate 2003-06, Vol.16 (11), p.1855-1864
Main Authors: Essery, Richard, Pomeroy, John, Parviainen, Jason, Storck, Pascal
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Annual runoff
Atmospheric models
Boreal forests
Canopies
Climate models
Coniferous forests
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
External geophysics
Forest canopy
Forests
Interception
Meteorology
Modeling
Runoff
Simulations
Snow
Snow. Ice. Glaciers
Snowmelt
Sublimation
Surface runoff
Water in the atmosphere (humidity, clouds, evaporation, precipitation)
Winter
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Description
Summary:Improved representations of snow interception by coniferous forest canopies and sublimation of intercepted snow are implemented in a land surface model. Driven with meteorological observations from forested sites in Canada, the United States, and Sweden, the modified model is found to give reduced sublimation, better simulations of snow loads on and below canopies, and improved predictions of snowmelt runoff. When coupled to an atmospheric model in a GCM, however, drying and warming of the air because of the reduced sublimation provides a feedback that limits the impact of the new canopy snow model on the predicted sublimation. There is little impact on the average annual snowmelt runoff in the GCM, but runoff is delayed and peak runoff increased by the introduction of the canopy snow model.
ISSN:0894-8755
1520-0442
DOI:10.1175/1520-0442(2003)016<1855:SOSFCF>2.0.CO;2