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651-1504-00L 4 Credits DS , MSC D-USYS , D-ERDW , D-PHYS , D-MATH
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Snowcover: physics, interactions and modelling

Lecturers & Examiners: Dr. Michael Lehning, Dr. Martin Schneebeli
VVZ CR n/a

Last Updated: 2026-02-05 15:19:28

Abstract

The students learn about important processes in and above the snow cover and learn to understand the significance of snow as a seasonal or permanent land surface. Focus is on applying the quantitative methods to problems in meteorology, climatology, hydrology and ecology.

Objective

The lecture tries to teach the physical properties of snow. In particular, the basic properties necessary for a quantitative understanding of snow metamorphosis, avalanche formation, remote sensing techniques and energy- and mass fluxes in snow are treated. A special focus are the interactions of snow with the atmosphere, rock/soil, and vegetation. The students understand the processes that lead to the build-up of a stratified snow cover. They are able to develop physical descriptions of the processes associated with snow, know about the limits of our current understanding and get to know current research questions. They are introduced to the snow cover model SNOWPACK.

Content

- Characteristics and properties of snow - Ice physics, snow mechanics and constitutive laws - Energy- and mass fluxes in snow - recristallization, snow microstructure and metamorphism - Energy- and mass fluxes at the snow surface - Wind transport of snow and influence of topography - electromagnetic (in particular optical) snow properties - measurement methods - snow as a sediment - artificial snow - modelling of snow

Resources

Lecture Notes

The course will be accompanied by a WebCT E-Learning environment. The environment will also serve to publish course materials.Please send me an EMail and you will receive an invitation to the WebCT course.

Literature

Bartelt. P.B. and M. Lehning, 2002. A physical SNOWPACK model for Avalanche Warning Services. Part I: Numerical Model, Cold Reg. Sci. Technol., 35/3, 123-145. Lehning, M, Bartelt, P.B., Brown, R.L., Fierz, C., Satyawali, P., 2002. A physical SNOWPACK model for the Swiss Avalanche Warning Services. Part II: Snow Microstructure, Cold Reg. Sci. Technol., 35/3, 147-167. Lehning, M, Bartelt, P.B., Brown, R.L., Fierz, C., Satyawali, P., 2002. A physical SNOWPACK model for the Swiss Avalanche Warning Services. Part III: Meteorological Boundary Conditions, Thin Layer Formation and Evaluation, Cold Reg. Sci. Technol., 35/3, 169-184. Lehning, M., Völksch, I., Gustafsson, D., Nguyen, T.A., Stähli, M., Zappa, M., 2006. ALPINE3D: A detailed model of mountain surface processes and its application to snow hydrology, Hydrol. Processes, 20, 2111-2128. Pielmeier, C., Schneebeli, M., 2003: Stratigraphy and changes in hardness of snow, measured by hand, ramsonde and snow micro penetrometer: a comparison with planar sections. Cold Regions Science Technology, 37, 393-405. Schneebeli, M. and S. A. Sokratov, 2004: Tomography of temperature gradient metamorphism of snow and associated changes in heat conductivity. Hydrological Processes, 18, 3655-3665. Schweizer, J., J. Bruce Jamieson, and M. Schneebeli, 2003:, Snow avalanche formation, Rev. Geophys., 41(4), 1016, doi:10.1029/2002RG000123. Sturm, M., J. Holmgren, M. König, and K. Morris, 1997: The thermal conductivity of seasonal snow. J. Glac., 43, 26-41.

General Information

Language
English
Levels
DS , MSC
Frequency
Every two years

Examination

Type
session examination
Mode
oral 30 minutes

Course Components

Type Title Time & Place Hours
lecture with exercise Snowcover: physics, interactions and modelling
od. n.V.
  • Mon 15:15-18:00 (ML F 38)
3 h weekly

Offered In