A Drifting and Blowing Snow Scheme in the Weather Research and Forecasting Model

Saigger M, Sauter T, Schmid C, Collier E, Goger B, Kaser G, Prinz R, Voordendag A, Mölg T (2024)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2024

Journal

Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems American Geophysical Union (AGU)

Book Volume: 16

Article Number: e2023MS004007

Journal Issue: 6

DOI: 10.1029/2023MS004007

Abstract

Wind-driven redistribution of surface snow is one of the key factors leading to heterogeneous accumulation of snow at small scales. Understanding the processes that lead to this heterogeneous accumulation is, therefore, of great importance to many glaciological and hydrological questions. High-quality information on the wind field is necessary to realistically represent drifting snow. Here, we introduce a novel, intermediate-complexity drifting and blowing snow module for the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model that integrates seamlessly into the standard WRF infrastructure. The module also accounts for snow particle sublimation and considers the thermodynamic feedback on the atmospheric fields. In an idealized model environment the module was tested for physical consistency. Sensitivity experiments showed that drifting snow sublimation has on the one hand local effects on the erosion and deposition patterns and on the other hand non-local effects on the larger-scale atmosphere. The simple and computationally efficient implementation allows this module to be used for small-scale and large-scale simulations in polar and glaciated regions.

Authors with CRIS profile

Manuel Saigger Institut für Geographie Christina Schmid Institut für Geographie Thomas Mölg Professur für Geographie

Involved external institutions

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin DE Germany (DE) Leopold-Franzens-Universität Innsbruck / University of Innsbruck AT Austria (AT)

How to cite

APA:

Saigger, M., Sauter, T., Schmid, C., Collier, E., Goger, B., Kaser, G.,... Mölg, T. (2024). A Drifting and Blowing Snow Scheme in the Weather Research and Forecasting Model. Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, 16(6). https://doi.org/10.1029/2023MS004007

MLA:

Saigger, Manuel, et al. "A Drifting and Blowing Snow Scheme in the Weather Research and Forecasting Model." Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems 16.6 (2024).

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