Temporal variation in acidity and ion concentration of snowmelt water in light and heavy snow years

Yoshihiro Asaoka, Yukari Takeuchi, So Kazama

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

This paper describes the temporal variation in chemical components of snowfall and snowmelt in a temperate snowy area. We conducted snowfall and snowmelt water sampling and their water quality analysis in light and heavy snow years at the Tohkamachi experiment station, Japan. We compared the behaviour of acidity and ion concentration of snowmelt water in response to annual snow conditions. Our results show that the mean acidity of snowfall is slightly higher than that of snowmelt. More acidic melt water flows out of the snowpack into the ground when snowmelt is generated on the surface and meltwater reaches the bottom of the snowpack. Comparisons between the two years revealed that although the snowpack has higher capacity for storing chemical components with increase of snowdepth, the stored chemical components gradually flow out of the snowpack with melt water caused by the heat flux from soil.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationCold Regions Hydrology in a Changing Climate
Pages86-91
Number of pages6
Publication statusPublished - 2011 Dec 1
EventSymposium H02 on Cold Regions Hydrology in a Changing Climate, Held During the 25th General Assembly of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics, IUGG 2011 - Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Duration: 2011 Jun 282011 Jul 7

Publication series

NameIAHS-AISH Publication
Volume346
ISSN (Print)0144-7815

Other

OtherSymposium H02 on Cold Regions Hydrology in a Changing Climate, Held During the 25th General Assembly of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics, IUGG 2011
Country/TerritoryAustralia
CityMelbourne, VIC
Period11/6/2811/7/7

Keywords

  • Annual snow condition
  • Electric conductivity
  • PH
  • Snowmelt
  • Temperate snow area
  • Yellow sand

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Earth and Planetary Sciences(all)

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