HR: 0800h
AN: C11B-0452    [Abstracts]
TI: Evolution of Snow Over Sea-Ice during SHEBA using the SNTHERM Snow Model
AU: * CHUNG, Y
EM: Yi-Ching.Chung@ec.gc.ca
AF: Recherche en prévision numérique Meteorological Research Division Environment Canada, 2121 Trans-Canada Highway, Dorval, QC H9P 1J3, Canada
AU: Bélair, S
EM: Stephane.Belair@ec.gc.ca
AF: Recherche en prévision numérique Meteorological Research Division Environment Canada, 2121 Trans-Canada Highway, Dorval, QC H9P 1J3, Canada
AU: Mailhot, J
EM: Jocelyn.Mailhot@ec.gc.ca
AF: Recherche en prévision numérique Meteorological Research Division Environment Canada, 2121 Trans-Canada Highway, Dorval, QC H9P 1J3, Canada
AB: Snow processes over sea-ice are currently represented with a simple one-layer snow model in the Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC) operational forecasting systems. Although fully coupled with a multi- layer sea-ice model, the snow scheme does not represent detailed processes like snow densification, vertical profiles of density and temperature, liquid water in the snow, among others. Previous studies have shown that the widely accepted SNTHERM snow model predicts reasonably well the behavior of snow during cold periods. But this scheme has not been implemented yet in operational systems. To more realistically describe snowpack and sea ice dynamics, while preserving reasonable computing efficiency, SNTHERM has been included in MSC's physics package and coupled with the multi-layer sea-ice model. This coupled system is evaluated with forcings and validated data obtained from the Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA) field campaign conducted in 1997. Results with SNTHERM are compared with those obtained using MSC's current operational system; they provide an interesting framework for exploring the ice-snow interactions in the Arctic.
DE: 0700 CRYOSPHERE (4540)
DE: 0736 Snow (1827, 1863)
DE: 0750 Sea ice (4540)
DE: 0798 Modeling
SC: Cryosphere [C]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting