Snow Distribution and Heat Flow in the Taiga
Sturm M. 1992. Snow Distribution and Heat Flow in the Taiga. Arctic and Alpine Research. 24(2):145-152
The trees of the taiga intercept falling snow and cause it to become distributed in an uneven fashion. Around aspen and birch, cone-shaped accumulations form. Beneath large spruce trees, the snow cover is depleted, forming a bowl-shaped depression called a tree well. Small spruce trees become covered with snow, creating cavities that funnel cold air to the snow/ground interface. The depletion of snow under large spruce trees results in greater heat loss from the ground. A finite difference model suggests that heat flow from tree wells can be more than twice that of undisturbed snow. In forested watersheds, this increase can be a significant percentage of the total winter energy exchange.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Sturm, Matthew
- Units
- CAKN , DENA , WRST , YUCH
- Keywords
- Active Layer, Boreal Forest, Permafrost, Snow cover, Subarctic, Taiga, Thermal regime