Dry snow is a porous material consisting of a complex aggregate of interlocking ice grains, air, and water vapor. Snow is an important component of the earth's climate, hydrological, and ecological systems, and consequently thermodynamic processes within snow have implications for understanding many greater problems such as climate reconstruction and snow-melt hydrology. The size, shape, and arrangement of bonded grain gives snow a complex and anisotropic structural texture. The geometry of this texture has been poorly documented with observation. The movement of heat and mass through snow is, therefore, currently difficult to estimate and model. The fellowship will address these issues through three main avenues of research: (1) observational investigations of the three-dimensional structure of snow, (2) documentation of the modes and heterogeneity of heat and mass flux within the observed three-dimensional framework, and (3) testing and improvement of models for thermodynamic processes by comparisons with observations. These objectives will be attained through field, laboratory, and computer modeling work to be conducted at the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research and the Mountain Research Station, both at the University.

Agency
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Institute
Division of Earth Sciences (EAR)
Type
Standard Grant (Standard)
Application #
9901492
Program Officer
Lina C. Patino
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
1999-09-01
Budget End
2003-08-31
Support Year
Fiscal Year
1999
Total Cost
$72,000
Indirect Cost
Name
Fellowships
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Arlington
State
VA
Country
United States
Zip Code
22230