Constraining Kilometer‐Scale Mountain Snow Transport and Snowshed Areas
Abstract Snow transport (wind drifting and avalanches) can concentrate a large amount of water into a relatively small area, in contrast to precipitation, which is spatially smoother. I develop a framework to constrain the minimum effective seasonal transport necessary to explain observed snowpack p...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Geophysical Research Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL113599 |
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| author | E. N. Boardman |
| author_facet | E. N. Boardman |
| author_sort | E. N. Boardman |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Snow transport (wind drifting and avalanches) can concentrate a large amount of water into a relatively small area, in contrast to precipitation, which is spatially smoother. I develop a framework to constrain the minimum effective seasonal transport necessary to explain observed snowpack patterns. In the Wind River Range, Wyoming, extensive deep snow (4–6 m snow water equivalent, >0.01 km2) is the result of long‐distance transport, with about half of the seasonal accumulation originating >1 km upwind. Cirque glaciers on the downwind margins of alpine plateaus can accumulate snow from contributing source areas exceeding 2–3 km2. Interbasin snow transport augments local snowfall by at least 22% in a glaciated first‐order stream catchment (2 km2), with the upwind “snowshed” doubling the effective catchment area. Snow imported across topographic divides is equivalent to 7% of annual streamflow in a 125 km2 watershed. Kilometer‐scale snow transport is an underappreciated driver of mountain snowpack heterogeneity. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d960b705161c4db1b7da8d0431267fe8 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0094-8276 1944-8007 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geophysical Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-d960b705161c4db1b7da8d0431267fe82025-08-20T03:26:38ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072025-05-015210n/an/a10.1029/2024GL113599Constraining Kilometer‐Scale Mountain Snow Transport and Snowshed AreasE. N. Boardman0Graduate Program of Hydrologic Sciences University of Nevada, Reno Reno NV USAAbstract Snow transport (wind drifting and avalanches) can concentrate a large amount of water into a relatively small area, in contrast to precipitation, which is spatially smoother. I develop a framework to constrain the minimum effective seasonal transport necessary to explain observed snowpack patterns. In the Wind River Range, Wyoming, extensive deep snow (4–6 m snow water equivalent, >0.01 km2) is the result of long‐distance transport, with about half of the seasonal accumulation originating >1 km upwind. Cirque glaciers on the downwind margins of alpine plateaus can accumulate snow from contributing source areas exceeding 2–3 km2. Interbasin snow transport augments local snowfall by at least 22% in a glaciated first‐order stream catchment (2 km2), with the upwind “snowshed” doubling the effective catchment area. Snow imported across topographic divides is equivalent to 7% of annual streamflow in a 125 km2 watershed. Kilometer‐scale snow transport is an underappreciated driver of mountain snowpack heterogeneity.https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL113599snow transportsnow driftlong‐distance snow transportsnow drift contributing areasnow drift contributing distancesnowshed hydrology |
| spellingShingle | E. N. Boardman Constraining Kilometer‐Scale Mountain Snow Transport and Snowshed Areas Geophysical Research Letters snow transport snow drift long‐distance snow transport snow drift contributing area snow drift contributing distance snowshed hydrology |
| title | Constraining Kilometer‐Scale Mountain Snow Transport and Snowshed Areas |
| title_full | Constraining Kilometer‐Scale Mountain Snow Transport and Snowshed Areas |
| title_fullStr | Constraining Kilometer‐Scale Mountain Snow Transport and Snowshed Areas |
| title_full_unstemmed | Constraining Kilometer‐Scale Mountain Snow Transport and Snowshed Areas |
| title_short | Constraining Kilometer‐Scale Mountain Snow Transport and Snowshed Areas |
| title_sort | constraining kilometer scale mountain snow transport and snowshed areas |
| topic | snow transport snow drift long‐distance snow transport snow drift contributing area snow drift contributing distance snowshed hydrology |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL113599 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT enboardman constrainingkilometerscalemountainsnowtransportandsnowshedareas |