Numerical simulations on artificial reduction of snow and ice ablation

This snow modeling study investigates two methods to artificially reduce ablation in Alpine glacier ski resorts. Using the snow cover model SNTHERM, a first set of sensitivity studies focuses on the potential effects of artificial compaction of snow during winter. In comparison to a reference run representing the natural conditions, a stepwise increase of the model's new snow density toward 500 kg m−3 yields no more than 218 kg m−2 water equivalent being saved at the end of the ablation period. Further studies consider effects of covering the snow surface with different materials in spring. The physical properties and the energetic processes at the model's surface node are parameterized accordingly. The results show that 2489 kg m−2 water equivalent are saved compared to the reference run. Thus 15% of the winter snow cover as well as the whole amount of the underlying glacier ice are preserved. This indicates that surface covering reduces snow and ice ablation more effectively than snow compaction, which is confirmed by field measurements.