Summary:
Published in Water Resources Research 26(5): 1079-1092
The objective of this study was to adjust the parameters of the point energy and mass balance model of a snow cover developed by E. Anderson in 1976 when applied to a balsam fir forest. This physically based model was used to simulate the snow cover energy and mass balance during spring at Lac Laflamme (47°N, 71°W). The calibration of the model was done with the physical properties of snow and hourly outflow observed at a snow Iysimeter in 1985 and 1986; the validation was performed with the 1987 data. For the three seasons simulated, the model yielded accurate predictions, particularly of hourly and daily outflows. As expected, the forest canopy limits latent and sensible heat transfers to the snow cover because of its effect on wind speed. The prediction of outflow was almost insensitive to variations to the roughness parameter and to the critical Richardson number but was moderately sensitive to most parameters related to liquid water retention and transmission. Lack of fit between predicted and observed outflows, densities and temperatures at various levels in the snowpack occurred when ice layers or ice lenses were suspected to be present in the snow.
Sector(s):
Forests
Catégorie(s):
Scientific Article
Theme(s):
Ecosystems and Environment, Forest Ecology, Forestry Research, Forests
Departmental author(s):
Author(s):
BARRY, Richard, Marcel PRÉVOST, Jean STEIN and André P. PLAMONDON
Year of publication:
1990
Format:
Paper
How to get the publication:
Keyword(s):
snow cover, snowmelt runoff, coniferous forest, energy balance equation, Montmorency Forest, snow accumulation, outflow, extinction coefficient, snow density, ecosystems and environment, écosystèmes et environnement, écologie écosystèmes et environnement, couvert de neige, écoulement de fonte, forêt résineuse, équation de bilan énergétique, Forêt Montmorency, accumulation de la neige, débit sortant, coefficient d'extinction, densité de la neige