Work

Wind Shaped Winter Snow Mass Balance at High Altitude: Insights From an Integrated Snow Observation System

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Wind shapes high‐altitude winter snow mass balance and influences water resources by controlling snow accumulation, erosion, and sublimation loss, yet accurately quantifying these processes remains challenging in high‐altitude regions like the Tibetan Plateau due to complex wind‐snow interactions and extreme measurement conditions. To address these challenges, we present an integrated observation system to monitor wind‐blown snow processes and develop a Gaussian kernel‐based probabilistic classification method that incorporates measurement uncertainties to identify wind‐driven snow events. This method enables more robust analysis of rapid snow mass changes compared to traditional classification. The study site is in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau at 4,147 m elevation with strong winds and frequent winter snowfall. Our results show that wind‐driven snow deposition and erosion events account for 68.5% of observed snow mass changes, while purely precipitation‐driven accumulation events only contribute 3.1% of total changes, with the remaining 28.4% being mixed events involving both precipitation and wind‐driven processes. Our results provide observational evidence that blowing snow sublimation is amplified when wind speeds exceed approximately 8 m , highlighting the pivotal role of suspended particles in enhancing evapotranspiration losses. This continuous wind‐driven reshaping of the snowpack leads to rapid changes in snow depth, density, and even thermal properties, challenging traditional modeling approaches that assume more gradual layer evolution. This study provides a robust method for identifying wind‐driven snow events and quantifying their influences on snow mass balance. Our findings emphasize the importance of incorporating wind‐driven processes in high‐altitude snow models and monitoring systems to better understand snow dynamics.

Source: Water Resources Research

DOI: 10.1029/2025wr039885

Authors: Hongyi Li, Tao Che, Yang Zhang

Institutions: Chinese Academy of Sciences, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources

Language: English

Topic: Cryospheric studies and observations

Subfield: Atmospheric Science

Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Climate action

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,000