Capillary suction across the soil–snow interface as a mechanism for the formation of wet basal layers under gliding snowpacks
Capillary suction across the soil–snow interface is a possible mechanism for the formation of wet basal snow layers, which are necessary for snow gliding and glide-snow avalanches. However, little is known about the conditions under which this process occurs. We investigated capillary suction across...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Cambridge University Press
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Glaciology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143025000024/type/journal_article |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850273679960702976 |
|---|---|
| author | Michael Lombardo Amelie Fees Annegret Udke Katrin Meusburger Alec Van Herwijnen Jürg Schweizer Peter Lehmann |
| author_facet | Michael Lombardo Amelie Fees Annegret Udke Katrin Meusburger Alec Van Herwijnen Jürg Schweizer Peter Lehmann |
| author_sort | Michael Lombardo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Capillary suction across the soil–snow interface is a possible mechanism for the formation of wet basal snow layers, which are necessary for snow gliding and glide-snow avalanches. However, little is known about the conditions under which this process occurs. We investigated capillary suction across the soil–snow interface considering realistic snow and soil properties. Snow properties were determined from snow profiles and soil properties were determined from field measurements of liquid water content, matric potential, soil texture and bulk density for 40 alpine soils in Davos, Switzerland, as well as a field site in the region (Seewer Berg) with glide-snow avalanche activity. For the alpine soils investigated here, the results show that capillary flow from the soil to the snow is possible for realistic snow properties but requires a soil saturation of ∼90% or higher at the soil surface. When comparing the 90% saturation threshold to field measurements, the results suggest that capillary suction across the soil–snow interface is unlikely to contribute significantly to the formation of wet basal layers on Seewer Berg. These results are also relevant for soil and snow hydrology, where water transport across the soil–snow interface is important and understudied. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-30b811c5b73e4d0690e1e61dd538d554 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 0022-1430 1727-5652 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Glaciology |
| spelling | doaj-art-30b811c5b73e4d0690e1e61dd538d5542025-08-20T01:51:24ZengCambridge University PressJournal of Glaciology0022-14301727-56522025-01-017110.1017/jog.2025.2Capillary suction across the soil–snow interface as a mechanism for the formation of wet basal layers under gliding snowpacksMichael Lombardo0https://orcid.org/0009-0001-1473-9389Amelie Fees1Annegret Udke2Katrin Meusburger3Alec Van Herwijnen4https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5637-6486Jürg Schweizer5https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5076-2968Peter Lehmann6WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Avalanche Formation and Dynamics, Davos, Graubünden, SwitzerlandWSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Avalanche Formation and Dynamics, Davos, Graubünden, SwitzerlandSwiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Forest Soils and Biogeochemistry, Birmensdorf, Zurich, Switzerland Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Zurich, SwitzerlandSwiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Forest Soils and Biogeochemistry, Birmensdorf, Zurich, SwitzerlandWSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Avalanche Formation and Dynamics, Davos, Graubünden, SwitzerlandWSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Avalanche Formation and Dynamics, Davos, Graubünden, SwitzerlandPhysics of Soils and Terrestrial Ecosystems, ETH Zurich, Zurich, SwitzerlandCapillary suction across the soil–snow interface is a possible mechanism for the formation of wet basal snow layers, which are necessary for snow gliding and glide-snow avalanches. However, little is known about the conditions under which this process occurs. We investigated capillary suction across the soil–snow interface considering realistic snow and soil properties. Snow properties were determined from snow profiles and soil properties were determined from field measurements of liquid water content, matric potential, soil texture and bulk density for 40 alpine soils in Davos, Switzerland, as well as a field site in the region (Seewer Berg) with glide-snow avalanche activity. For the alpine soils investigated here, the results show that capillary flow from the soil to the snow is possible for realistic snow properties but requires a soil saturation of ∼90% or higher at the soil surface. When comparing the 90% saturation threshold to field measurements, the results suggest that capillary suction across the soil–snow interface is unlikely to contribute significantly to the formation of wet basal layers on Seewer Berg. These results are also relevant for soil and snow hydrology, where water transport across the soil–snow interface is important and understudied.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143025000024/type/journal_articleavalancheglidesnowsoilwater |
| spellingShingle | Michael Lombardo Amelie Fees Annegret Udke Katrin Meusburger Alec Van Herwijnen Jürg Schweizer Peter Lehmann Capillary suction across the soil–snow interface as a mechanism for the formation of wet basal layers under gliding snowpacks Journal of Glaciology avalanche glide snow soil water |
| title | Capillary suction across the soil–snow interface as a mechanism for the formation of wet basal layers under gliding snowpacks |
| title_full | Capillary suction across the soil–snow interface as a mechanism for the formation of wet basal layers under gliding snowpacks |
| title_fullStr | Capillary suction across the soil–snow interface as a mechanism for the formation of wet basal layers under gliding snowpacks |
| title_full_unstemmed | Capillary suction across the soil–snow interface as a mechanism for the formation of wet basal layers under gliding snowpacks |
| title_short | Capillary suction across the soil–snow interface as a mechanism for the formation of wet basal layers under gliding snowpacks |
| title_sort | capillary suction across the soil snow interface as a mechanism for the formation of wet basal layers under gliding snowpacks |
| topic | avalanche glide snow soil water |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0022143025000024/type/journal_article |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT michaellombardo capillarysuctionacrossthesoilsnowinterfaceasamechanismfortheformationofwetbasallayersunderglidingsnowpacks AT ameliefees capillarysuctionacrossthesoilsnowinterfaceasamechanismfortheformationofwetbasallayersunderglidingsnowpacks AT annegretudke capillarysuctionacrossthesoilsnowinterfaceasamechanismfortheformationofwetbasallayersunderglidingsnowpacks AT katrinmeusburger capillarysuctionacrossthesoilsnowinterfaceasamechanismfortheformationofwetbasallayersunderglidingsnowpacks AT alecvanherwijnen capillarysuctionacrossthesoilsnowinterfaceasamechanismfortheformationofwetbasallayersunderglidingsnowpacks AT jurgschweizer capillarysuctionacrossthesoilsnowinterfaceasamechanismfortheformationofwetbasallayersunderglidingsnowpacks AT peterlehmann capillarysuctionacrossthesoilsnowinterfaceasamechanismfortheformationofwetbasallayersunderglidingsnowpacks |