Spatial distribution of the snow thermal resistance on the Russian territory and its impact on the ground freezing and thawing

N. I. Osokin; A. V. Sosnovskiy

doi:10.15356/2076-6734-2016-1-52-60

Spatial distribution of the snow thermal resistance on the Russian territory and its impact on the ground freezing and thawing

N. I. Osokin, A. V. Sosnovskiy

https://doi.org/10.15356/2076-6734-2016-1-52-60

Full Text:

Abstract

The effect of the snow cover thermal resistance on dynamics of the ground (soil) freezing and thawing is analyzed with the use of numerical modeling. Model calculations show that when heights and densities of snow covers are different, but their thermal resistances are the same, dynamics of the soil freezing and its temperature regimes are similar. Distribution of the snow cover thermal resistance on the Russia’s territory had been mapped, and areas of equal values of the snow heat insulation were isolated. Using data of meteorological station Коynas (the Arkhangelsk oblast) as an example we demonstrate that influence of increased sum of the air negative temperatures on the soil temperature can be compensated by a decrease in thermal resistance of a snow cover.

Keywords

depth of ground freezing, snow depth, ground temperature, thermal resistance of snow,

About the Authors

N. I. Osokin

Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences
Russian Federation
Moscow

A. V. Sosnovskiy

Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences
Russian Federation
Moscow

References

1. Balobaev V.T. Geotermiya merzloy zony litosfery severa Azii. Geothermica of the freezing zone of the lithosphere in the North of Asia. Novosibirsk: Nauka, 1991: 193 p. [In Russian].

2. Votyakov I.N. Fiziko-mekhanicheskie svoystva merzlykh i ottaivayushchikh gruntov Yakutii. Physical and mechanical properties of freezing and thawing grounds in Yakutiya. Novosibirsk: Nauka, 1975: 176 p. [In Russian].

3. Osokin N.I., Zhidkov V.A., Samoylov R.S., Sosnovskiy A.V. Variability of hydrometeorological factors influenced to the freezing grounds. Materialy Glyatsiologicheskikh Issledovaniy. Data of Glaciological Studies. 2000. Issue 89. P. 209–213. [In Russian].

4. Osokin N.I., Samoylov R.S., Sosnovskiy A.V., Chernov R.A. Evaluation of the influence of climate warming to the degradation of permafrost (to the thermophysical state of frozen ground). Materialy Glyatsiologicheskikh Issledovaniy. Data of Glaciological Studies. 2005. Issue 99: 144–150. [In Russian].

5. Osokin N.I., Sosnovskiy A.V., Nakalov P.R., Nenashev S.V. Thermal resistance of snow cover and its influence to the freezing of ground. Led i Sneg. Ice and Snow. 2013, 1 (121): 93–103. [In Russian].

6. Osokin N.I., Sosnovskiy A.V., Chernov R.A. Influence of snow cover stratigraphy to its thermal resistance. Led i Sneg. Ice and Snow. 2013, 3 (123): 63–70. [In Russian].

7. Osokin N.I., Sosnovskiy A.V. Spatial and temporal variability of the depth and density of snow cover at the Russian territory. Led i Sneg. Ice and Snow. 2014, 4 (124): 72–80. [In Russian].

8. Osokin N.I., Sosnovskiy A.V. Influence of the dynamics of air temperature and snow depth to the ground freezing. Kriosfera Zemli. Earth Cryosphere. 2015, 19 (1): 99–105. [In Russian].

9. Pavlov A.V. Monitoring kriolitozony. Monitoring of the cryolithozone. Novosibirsk: Geo, 2008: 230 p. [In Russian].

10. Pavlov A.V., Skachkov Yu.B., Kakunov N.B. Interrelationship between perennial changes of the seasonal ground thawing depth and meteorological factors. Kriosfera Zemli. Earth Cryosphere. 2004, 8 (4): 3–11. [In Russian].

11. Sosnovskiy A.V. Mathematical modeling of the influence of snow depth to the permafrost degradation under climate warming. Kriosfera Zemli. Earth Cryosphere. 2006, 10 (3): 83–88. [In Russian].

12. Sherstyukov A.B. Correlation of ground temperature with air temperature and snow depth at the Russian territory. Kriosfera Zemli. Earth Cryosphere. 2008, 12 (1): 79–87. [In Russian].

13. Gisnås K., Westermann S., Schuler T.V., Litherland T., Isaksen K., Boike J., Etzelmüller B. A statistical approach to represent small-scale variability of permafrost temperatures due to snow cover. The Cryosphere. 2014, 8: 2063–2074. doi:10.5194/tc-8-2063-2014.

14. Park H., Fedorov A.N., Zheleznyak M.N., Konstantinov P.N., Walsh J.E. Effect of snow cover on pan-Arctic permafrost thermal regimes. Climate Dynamics. 2015, 44: 2873–2895. doi:10.1007/ s00382-014-2356-5.

15. Zhong X., Zhang T., Wang K. Snow density climatology across the former USSR. The Cryosphere. 2014, 8: 785–799. doi:10.5194/tc-8-785-2014.

Supplementary files

For citation: Osokin N.I., Sosnovskiy A.V. Spatial distribution of the snow thermal resistance on the Russian territory and its impact on the ground freezing and thawing. Ice and Snow. 2016;56(1):52-60. https://doi.org/10.15356/2076-6734-2016-1-52-60

Refbacks

There are currently no refbacks.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

ISSN 2076-6734 (Print)
ISSN 2412-3765 (Online)

Username
Password