Estimating the snow distribution in a subalpine region using a distributed snowmelt model

摘要

A distributed snowmelt model was applied to a subalpine region. The model is based on an energy budget method and evaluates topography and vegetation cover. In the Akagawa basin, Japan, the model reproduced the proportion of snow coverage and snow water equivalent in the snowmelt season exactly. The simulated results agreed better at forest sites than at open sites, and at lower sites rather than at higher sites. This suggests that the snow redistribution caused by wind cannot be ignored in predicting snow distribution in a subalpine zone.