Tomography-based monitoring of isothermal snow metamorphism under advective conditions
Time-lapse X-ray microtomography was used to investigate the structural dynamics of isothermal snow metamorphism exposed to an advective airflow. The effect of diffusion and advection across the snow pores on the snow microstructure were analysed in controlled laboratory experiments and possible eff...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2015-07-01
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| Series: | The Cryosphere |
| Online Access: | http://www.the-cryosphere.net/9/1363/2015/tc-9-1363-2015.pdf |
| Summary: | Time-lapse X-ray microtomography was used to investigate the structural
dynamics of isothermal snow metamorphism exposed to an advective airflow. The
effect of diffusion and advection across the snow pores on the snow
microstructure were analysed in controlled laboratory experiments and
possible effects on natural snowpacks discussed. The 3-D digital geometry
obtained by tomographic scans was used in direct pore-level numerical
simulations to determine the effective permeability. The results showed that
isothermal advection with saturated air have no influence on the coarsening
rate that is typical for isothermal snow metamorphism. Isothermal snow
metamorphism is driven by sublimation deposition caused by the Kelvin effect
and is the limiting factor independently of the transport regime in the
pores. |
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| ISSN: | 1994-0416 1994-0424 |