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Snow hydrology in a general circulation modelA snow hydrology has been implemented in an atmospheric general circulation model (GCM). The snow hydrology consists of parameterizations of snowfall and snow cover fraction, a prognostic calculation of snow temperature, and a model of the snow mass and hydrologic budgets. Previously, only snow albedo had been included by a specified snow line. A 3-year GCM simulation with this now more complete surface hydrology is compared to a previous GCM control run with the specified snow line, as well as with observations. In particular, the authors discuss comparisons of the atmospheric and surface hydrologic budgets and the surface energy budget for U.S. and Canadian areas. The new snow hydrology changes the annual cycle of the surface moisture and energy budgets in the model. There is a noticeable shift in the runoff maximum from winter in the control run to spring in the snow hydrology run. A substantial amount of GCM winter precipitation is now stored in the seasonal snowpack. Snow cover also acts as an important insulating layer between the atmosphere and the ground. Wintertime soil temperatures are much higher in the snow hydrology experiment than in the control experiment. Seasonal snow cover is important for dampening large fluctuations in GCM continental skin temperature during the Northern Hemisphere winter. Snow depths and snow extent show good agreement with observations over North America. The geographic distribution of maximum depths is not as well simulated by the model due, in part, to the coarse resolution of the model. The patterns of runoff are qualitatively and quantitatively similar to observed patterns of streamflow averaged over the continental United States. The seasonal cycles of precipitation and evaporation are also reasonably well simulated by the model, although their magnitudes are larger than is observed. This is due, in part, to a cold bias in this model, which results in a dry model atmosphere and enhances the hydrologic cycle everywhere.
Document ID
19950035303
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Marshall, Susan
(Colorado State University Fort Collins, CO, United States)
Roads, John O.
(University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA United States)
Glatzmaier, Gary
(Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM United States)
Date Acquired
August 16, 2013
Publication Date
August 1, 1994
Publication Information
Publication: Journal of Climate
Volume: 7
Issue: 8
ISSN: 0894-8755
Subject Category
Meteorology And Climatology
Accession Number
95A66902
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NOAA-NA-36GP0377
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAG5-2238
CONTRACT_GRANT: NOAA-NA-36GP0396
CONTRACT_GRANT: USGS-14-08-001-G2113
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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