Measurement of Snow Density According to Regional Snow Depth in South Korea

Abstract

As a result of abnormal weather conditions, such as climate change, the amount of snow damage has increased rapidly; hence, the need for countermeasures against heavy snow damage has increased. The most severe snow damage in South Korea has occurred in greenhouses. The snow damage caused in greenhouses is 76.7 billion KRW per year, and the cumulative damage area is 20,279 hectares. Snow density varies depending on snow depth, air temperature, and humidity. Depending on the weather conditions, snow density varies up to 7 times. Therefore, in this study, snow density was measured using snow depth field data. Based on weather data from the Korea Meteorological Administration and a disaster report, an area in Gangwon Province was selected as the target area. In Gangwon Province, five administrative districts were selected for field data sampling. The results showed that the density of snow increased as snow depth increased. Based on the results of this study, it was judged that the design of buildings and greenhouses could be more appropriate if snow load or snow density are used as variables. Keywords: Snow Damage, Snow Load, Sampling, Snow Density