An energy balance model of seasonal snow evolution

Abstract

This study describes a snowmelt model based on a physical heat balance method. It is an adaptation of the one layer model proposed by Kondo and Yamazaki (1990). As this last one, it takes into account both the heat balance at the snow surface and that of the entire snow cover, and it predicts both the snow surface temperature and the freezing depth. As a new contribution, the model predicts also the evolution of the snow's liquid water content. The energy equation is formulated by means of two energy variables: the Liquid Content and the Cold Content. Percolation depends on mass liquid fraction trough Darcy's law. The model has been validated through field measurements obtained at the instrumented site of Le Col de Porte of the ‘Centre d'Etudes de la Neige (CEN-Météo France)’ corresponding to the winter seasons of 1988/89, 93/94 and 94/95. The results show that the model correctly represents the evolution and melting of the seasonal snow.