TY  - JOUR
AU  - Alain Royer, Florent Domine
PY  - 2021//
TI  - New northern snowpack classification linked to vegetation cover on a latitudinal mega-transect across northeastern Canada
KW  - classification de la couverture de neige Gradient latitudinal interactions neige-végétation Latitudinal gradient propriétés de la neige snow cover classification snow–vegetation interaction snowpack properties
N2  - Changes in mass, extent, duration, and physical properties of snow are key elements for studying associated climate change feedbacks in northern regions. In this study, we analyzed snowpack physical properties along a ‘mega’ transect from 47°N to 83°N (4,000 km) in northeastern Canada, which includes marked transitions between ecozones from boreal forest to subarctic and arctic ecosystems. Our unique dataset of 391 detailed snowpits acquired over the last 20 years, complemented with snow data from weather stations, shows that snowpack properties such as snow water equivalent, snow depth, density, grain size and basal depth hoar fraction (DHF) are strongly linked to vegetation type. Based on these results, we propose an updated classification of snow types in three classes: boreal forest snow (47–58°N), tundra snow (58–74°N) and polar desert snow (74–83°N), which is more appropriate to the study area than the general north hemisphere classification commonly used. We also show that shrub presence along the transect contributes to a significant increase in DHF development which contributes most strongly to the thermal insulation properties of the snowpack. Overall, our analysis suggests that snow–vegetation interactions have a positive feedback effect on warming at northern latitudes.
SN  - 1195-6860
SN  - 1195-6860
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/11956860.2021.1898775
N1  - exported from refbase (http://publi.ipev.fr/polar_references/show.php?record=7971), last updated on Sun, 19 May 2024 01:07:16 +0200
ID  - AlainRoyer2021
ER  -