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Snowmelt sensitivity to radiation in the urban environment

Semadeni Davies, Annette LU and Bengtsson, Lars LU (1998) In Hydrological Sciences Journal 43(1). p.67-89
Abstract
Despite having the same snowmelt processes, snowpacks in urban environments experience a range of conditions different from those of rural areas. Melt is intensified at some sites due to greater radiative energy. Shading, however, can reduce radiation and melt at other sites. Changes to the radiation balance and snowpack processes have been investigated. A physical snowpack model was developed and tested against data from an impervious study plot in Sweden. Estimated surface runoff compared favourably with that measured. An urban radiation scheme captured the observed net allwave radiation well. Series of sensitivity analyses were made by perturbing the scheme to represent three urban locations: open ground and the southern (sunny) and... (More)
Despite having the same snowmelt processes, snowpacks in urban environments experience a range of conditions different from those of rural areas. Melt is intensified at some sites due to greater radiative energy. Shading, however, can reduce radiation and melt at other sites. Changes to the radiation balance and snowpack processes have been investigated. A physical snowpack model was developed and tested against data from an impervious study plot in Sweden. Estimated surface runoff compared favourably with that measured. An urban radiation scheme captured the observed net allwave radiation well. Series of sensitivity analyses were made by perturbing the scheme to represent three urban locations: open ground and the southern (sunny) and north (shaded) sides of a hypothetical building. Cloudiness, albedo, wall temperature and sky view were altered to reproduce common urban conditions. Even without perturbation, the shaded and sunny sides of the building had different radiation fluxes-the south side experienced a daily average net radiation enhancement of 15 W m-2 and the north a decrease of 35 W m-2. This pattern was reflected in melt, perturbation exaggerated the disparity. (Less)
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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Hydrological Sciences Journal
volume
43
issue
1
pages
67 - 89
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • scopus:0032005699
ISSN
0262-6667
DOI
10.1080/02626669809492103
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
265b495e-eac3-4366-873b-16c9e0666d16 (old id 2595406)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 15:59:33
date last changed
2022-02-27 18:10:16
@article{265b495e-eac3-4366-873b-16c9e0666d16,
  abstract     = {{Despite having the same snowmelt processes, snowpacks in urban environments experience a range of conditions different from those of rural areas. Melt is intensified at some sites due to greater radiative energy. Shading, however, can reduce radiation and melt at other sites. Changes to the radiation balance and snowpack processes have been investigated. A physical snowpack model was developed and tested against data from an impervious study plot in Sweden. Estimated surface runoff compared favourably with that measured. An urban radiation scheme captured the observed net allwave radiation well. Series of sensitivity analyses were made by perturbing the scheme to represent three urban locations: open ground and the southern (sunny) and north (shaded) sides of a hypothetical building. Cloudiness, albedo, wall temperature and sky view were altered to reproduce common urban conditions. Even without perturbation, the shaded and sunny sides of the building had different radiation fluxes-the south side experienced a daily average net radiation enhancement of 15 W m-2 and the north a decrease of 35 W m-2. This pattern was reflected in melt, perturbation exaggerated the disparity.}},
  author       = {{Semadeni Davies, Annette and Bengtsson, Lars}},
  issn         = {{0262-6667}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{67--89}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Hydrological Sciences Journal}},
  title        = {{Snowmelt sensitivity to radiation in the urban environment}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02626669809492103}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/02626669809492103}},
  volume       = {{43}},
  year         = {{1998}},
}