Snow and Lake Hydrology at the Forest/Tundra
Transition in the Western Canadian Arctic:
Processes, Parameterization, and Modelling
Philip Marsh
Adjunct Professor
Dept. of Geography
University of Saskatchewan
&
Research Scientist
National Water Research Institute
Environment Canada
Main Themes of this project
•
Will consider:
–
snow accumulation, melt and runoff at a variety of scales
– the role of lakes in the hydrological cycle
– understanding processes and developing parameterization
– a variety of terrain and vegetation types at the northern forest/tundra
transition zone, including: forest, shrubs, tundra and lakes
– use a variety of models. In addition to CRHM, CLASS, and MESH, we
use a variety of process models, small scale hydrological models, and
snow models.
Long term observation sites
that contribute to: a variety of
Environment Canada
programs including ongoing
studies related to the
proposed MGP project;
CCAF; a previous CFCAS
project; and MAGS for
example
Existing Field Sites - Inuvik, NWT area
Big Lake
Beaufort Sea
Denis Lagoon
Trail Valley Creek
TVC
HPC
TVC Lake
0
50
K ilo m e tre s
Mackenzie River
@ Arctic Red R.
Havikpak Creek
“Standard” hydrological
research observations
Forest
Discharge
Tundra
Shrub
Lake
Snow survey
LiDAR Data
-Data available for:
- HPC
- TVC
- Drained like site
- Denis Lagoon
TVC Basin
Data includes:
- DEM
- Vegetation height
- at 2 m x 2m grids
NRC Twin Otter Aircraft
aircraft observations - 1999
TVC
Tower
• aircraft eddy correlation
measurements provide an
estimate of basin average
measurement of spatial
variability at a 2 km resolution
This combination of data sets helps us understand
how to scale upwards from a point to a region
• Larger Scale
– 20 km: aircraft flux measurements
– 2 km: aircraft flux measurements
– 100 m: tower based flux measurements
– Point: measurements of micromet, snow accumulation and melt
•
Smaller Scale
Experience with a variety of models used to upscale
and to test parameterizations
• Larger Scale
•
–
–
–
–
CRCM
MESH
CLASS
CRHM
–
–
–
–
TOPOFLOW
SNOWMODEL
“Pohl” model (collection of radiation, wind, advection, melt models)
Process models
Smaller Scale
Snow Processes and Parameterizations
7628000
420
380
7626000
Will build upon work by our research group to
consider:
340
300
7624000
260
220
180
7622000
140
100
- Spatial variability in
- snow accumulation
- turbulent fluxes
- incident radiation
- advection
- snowmelt
- change in SWE and factional area
7620000
60
7618000
550000
552000
554000
556000
558000
560000
562000
7628000
136
134
132
130
128
126
124
122
120
118
116
114
112
110
108
106
7626000
7624000
7622000
7620000
- include aircraft flux data for validation
7618000
550000
- utilize Lidar DEM and vegetation data
- include multiple years of data
- improved incorporation of the role of shrubs
using ongoing work with Murray Mackay
using observations and CLASS
552000
554000
556000
558000
560000
562000
Lake Processes and Parmeterization
Will consider:
TVC Lake
• lake ice
• open water evaporation
• energy and water balance
• runoff into/out of lake
• will work with Murray Mackay to test
lake model
• will work with Raoul Granger to
consider lake evaporation
• consider effects of sub-grid lakes on
regional fluxes
Denis Lagoon
Hydrological Model Testing
12
100
12
100
90
90
10
80
10
80
70
70
8
8
60
60
50
6
50
6
40
40
30
4
30
4
20
20
2
10
Obs.
2
4
6
8
10
12
0
14
16
10
2
Model
2
4
0
7
6
8
10
12
14
Measured
Modelled
Precip
6
100
90
5
16
4
5
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Distributed Snow, Distributed Melt
Distributed Snow, Uniform Melt
Uniform Snow, Distributed Melt
Uniform Snow, Uniform Melt
SCA from Sat Images
3
4
3
2
2
1
1
130 132 134 136 138 140 142 144 146 148 150 152 154 156 158 160 162
JD of 1999
0
0
20-Apr 30-Apr 10-May20-May30-May 9-Jun 19-Jun 29-Jun
1998
Precip [mm]
SCA [%]
70
Runoff [m3/s]
80
Holmes (NWRI)
Discharge Stations
ZED (NWRI)
Hans (WSC)
TVC (WSC)
HPC (WSC)
Cabin
Caribou
Rengling
Larger scale
River: Anderson
River (WSC) to the
East of the delta
Schedule, milestones, and deliverables
•
Year 1
– T1: install and upgrade hydrometeorological network in research basins (completed)
– T1: begin analysis of MAGS turbulent flux data (tower data ongoing, aircraft data
delayed until appropriate student found)
– T2: setup CRHM at test basins
– T2: assess existing parameterizations mass and energy (ongoing with comparison
to CLASS with M. Mackay
– T2: Assessment of MAGS aircraft for use in regional fluxes (ongoing, but delayed
due to reduced funding)
•
Year 2
– T1: field sites operational
– T1: ongoing analysis of radiation and turbulent transfer data from lake and snow
experiments
– T1: new and developing descriptions – CHRM
– T2: evaluate MESH to mass and energy
– T2: develop improved snow, melt parameterizations
Issues
•
Recruiting 2 Ph.D. students to work on this project
•
Aircraft flux data
– Budget reduction has affected this aspect of the project
– Discussions with Murray Mackay on how best to proceed
Why?
•
Training of next generation of hydrologists
•
Environment Canada
– We require improved predictive models
– For variety of major impact studies
• Providing science required for EC to carry out the impact
assessment and licensing of the proposed Mackenzie Gas
Project
•
EC realizes that we must work in collaboration with our university
colleagues to develop improved predictive methods