Skip to main content
ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Boise, Idaho » Northwest Watershed Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #100175
Title: A SPATIALLY DISTRIBUTED ENERGY BALANCE SNOWMELT MODEL FOR APPLICATION IN MOUNTAIN BASINS

Author
item Marks, Daniel
item DOMINGO, JAMES - OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
item LINK, TIM - OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
item GAREN, DAVE - NRCS

Submitted to: Western Snow Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/20/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Snowmelt is the principal source for soil moisture, ground- water recharge, and stream-flow in mountainous regions of the western U.S. Information on the timing, magnitude, and contributing area of melt under variable or changing climate conditions is required for successful water and resource management. A coupled energy and mass-balance model was used to simulate the development and melting of the seasonal snowcover in several mountain basins in California, Idaho, and Utah. Simulations were done over basins varying from 1 to 10,000 km sq, with simulation periods varying from a few weeks for the smallest basin, to multiple snow seasons for the larger basins. The model, ISNOBAL, is a spatially distributed form of the model SNOBAL, which was described in great detail by Marks, et al. (1998).