Brief communication: Light-absorbing impurities can reduce the density of melting snow

Brief communication: Light-absorbing impurities can reduce the density of melting snow

Climatic effects of black carbon (BC) deposition on snow have been proposed to result from reduced snow albedo and increased melt due to light-absorbing particles. In this study, we hypothesize that BC may decrease the liquid-water retention capacity of melting snow, and present our first data, wher...

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Main Authors: O. Meinander, A. Kontu, A. Virkkula, A. Arola, L. Backman, P. Dagsson-Waldhauserová, O. Järvinen, T. Manninen, J. Svensson, G. de Leeuw, M. Leppäranta
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2014-05-01
Series:The Cryosphere
Online Access:http://www.the-cryosphere.net/8/991/2014/tc-8-991-2014.pdf
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spelling doaj-9a56283bc35f4a54a308f0b5d56369b22020-11-24T21:06:48ZengCopernicus PublicationsThe Cryosphere1994-04161994-04242014-05-018399199510.5194/tc-8-991-2014Brief communication: Light-absorbing impurities can reduce the density of melting snowO. Meinander0A. Kontu1A. Virkkula2A. Arola3L. Backman4P. Dagsson-Waldhauserová5O. Järvinen6T. Manninen7J. Svensson8G. de Leeuw9M. Leppäranta10Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, FinlandArctic Research Center, Finnish Meteorological Institute, Sodankylä, FinlandFinnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, FinlandKuopio Unit, Finnish Meteorological Institute, Kuopio, FinlandFinnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, FinlandUniversity of Iceland, Department of Physics, Reykjavik, IcelandDepartment of Physics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FinlandFinnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, FinlandFinnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, FinlandFinnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, FinlandDepartment of Physics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FinlandClimatic effects of black carbon (BC) deposition on snow have been proposed to result from reduced snow albedo and increased melt due to light-absorbing particles. In this study, we hypothesize that BC may decrease the liquid-water retention capacity of melting snow, and present our first data, where both the snow density and elemental carbon content were measured. In our experiments, artificially added light-absorbing impurities decreased the density of seasonally melting natural snow. No relationship was found in case of natural non-melting snow. We also suggest three possible processes that might lead to lower snow density.http://www.the-cryosphere.net/8/991/2014/tc-8-991-2014.pdf
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author O. Meinander
A. Kontu
A. Virkkula
A. Arola
L. Backman
P. Dagsson-Waldhauserová
O. Järvinen
T. Manninen
J. Svensson
G. de Leeuw
M. Leppäranta
spellingShingle O. Meinander
A. Kontu
A. Virkkula
A. Arola
L. Backman
P. Dagsson-Waldhauserová
O. Järvinen
T. Manninen
J. Svensson
G. de Leeuw
M. Leppäranta
Brief communication: Light-absorbing impurities can reduce the density of melting snow
The Cryosphere
author_facet O. Meinander
A. Kontu
A. Virkkula
A. Arola
L. Backman
P. Dagsson-Waldhauserová
O. Järvinen
T. Manninen
J. Svensson
G. de Leeuw
M. Leppäranta
author_sort O. Meinander
title Brief communication: Light-absorbing impurities can reduce the density of melting snow
title_short Brief communication: Light-absorbing impurities can reduce the density of melting snow
title_full Brief communication: Light-absorbing impurities can reduce the density of melting snow
title_fullStr Brief communication: Light-absorbing impurities can reduce the density of melting snow
title_full_unstemmed Brief communication: Light-absorbing impurities can reduce the density of melting snow
title_sort brief communication: light-absorbing impurities can reduce the density of melting snow
publisher Copernicus Publications
series The Cryosphere
issn 1994-0416
1994-0424
publishDate 2014-05-01
description Climatic effects of black carbon (BC) deposition on snow have been proposed to result from reduced snow albedo and increased melt due to light-absorbing particles. In this study, we hypothesize that BC may decrease the liquid-water retention capacity of melting snow, and present our first data, where both the snow density and elemental carbon content were measured. In our experiments, artificially added light-absorbing impurities decreased the density of seasonally melting natural snow. No relationship was found in case of natural non-melting snow. We also suggest three possible processes that might lead to lower snow density.
url http://www.the-cryosphere.net/8/991/2014/tc-8-991-2014.pdf
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