Item: Estimating the Density of Dry Snow Layers From Hardness, and Hardness From Density
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Title: Estimating the Density of Dry Snow Layers From Hardness, and Hardness From Density
Proceedings: International Snow Science Workshop 2014 Proceedings, Banff, Canada
Authors:
- Daehyun Kim [ Dept. of Civil Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada ]
- Bruce Jamieson [ Dept. of Civil Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada ]
Date: 2014-09-29
Abstract: At ISSW 2000, Geldsetzer and Jamieson presented empirical relations between the density and hardness of dry snow layers for common grain types. These relations have been widely used to estimate the density and water equivalent of layers for which density was not measured (e.g. because the layer was too thin for the density sampler), and to estimate the hardness of layers in snowpack evolution models. Since 2000, the database of snow layers has tripled to over 15,000 layers of dry snow with measured density, hardness, grain size and temperature. This paper will update the relationships so that grain size (for specific grain types) and perhaps temperature can be used to better estimate density from hardness, and hardness from density. Estimating the density of layers allows avalanche practitioners to calculate the slab load when some layers are missing from the density profile.
Language of Article: English
Presenters:
Keywords: grain size, snow density, grain type, snow hardness, avalanche forecasting, snow stratigrapy
Page Number(s): 540-547
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Digital Abstract Not Available
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