Numerical modeling of a snow cover on Hooker Island (Franz Josef Land archipelago)

Abstract

Results obtained by simulating snow characteristics with a numerical model of surface heat and moisture exchange SPONSOR are presented. The numerical experiments are carried out for Franz Josef Land with typical Arctic climate conditions. The blizzard evaporation parameter is shown to have great influence on snow depth on territories with high wind speed. This parameter significantly improves the simulation quality of the numerical model. Some discrepancies between evaluated and observed snow depth values can be explained by inaccuracies in precipitation measurements (at least in certain cases) and errors in calculations of incoming radiation, mostly due to low accuracy in the cloudiness observations.

Keywords

• арктика
• метелевое испарение
• модель тепловлагообмена
• снежный покров.