Sublimation measurements of tundra and taiga snowpack in Alaska

Authors: Stockert, Kelsey A. Kuna Engineering; Euskirchen, Eugenie S. University of Alaska Fairbanks; Stuefer, Svetlana L. University of Alaska Fairbanks

Video Presentation

Abstract

Snow sublimation plays a fundamental role in the winter water balance. Continuous latent heat data collected with eddy covariance (EC) measurements from 2010 to 2021 were used to calculate snow sublimation at six locations in northern Alaska: three Arctic tundra sites on the North Slope and three lowland boreal forest/taiga sites near Fairbanks. Mean surface sublimation rates range from 0.08–0.15 mm/day and 15–27 mm/year at the six sites, representing, on average, 21% of the measured solid precipitation and 8–16% of the cumulative annual water vapor flux to the atmosphere (evaporation plus sublimation). We examined the potential drivers and trends of the sublimation rates by using meteorological data collected in conjunction with EC measurements. This research improves understanding of how site conditions affect sublimation rates, highlights the fact that sublimation is a substantial component of the winter hydrologic cycle, and contributes to the sparse literature on tundra and boreal sublimation measurements.

Citation

Please use the following citation when citing this presentation: