USING GIS TO PREDICT THE SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF PERENNIAL SNOW UNDER MODERN AND LATE PLEISTOCENE CONDITIONS IN TIlE SNAKE RANGE, NEVADA

TitleUSING GIS TO PREDICT THE SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF PERENNIAL SNOW UNDER MODERN AND LATE PLEISTOCENE CONDITIONS IN TIlE SNAKE RANGE, NEVADA
Publication TypeConference Proceedings
Year of Conference2001
AuthorsOrddorff, R. L., and Van Hoesen J. G.
Conference Name69th Annual Western Snow Conference
Series TitleProceedings of the 69th Annual Western Snow Conference
Date PublishedApril 2001
PublisherWestern Snow Conference
Conference LocationSun Valley, Idaho
KeywordsGIS, Snow covered area, Spatial distribution
Abstract

ELApse is a climate-driven snow and ice model developed to estimate the spatial distribution of perennial snow and ice in alpine systems. The snow model computes monthly snowfall, snowmelt, and resulting snowpack at each grid cell, and it estimates the densification of perennial snowpack and its transformation into glacial ice when appropriate. The model proceeds year-by-year until monthly snow and ice totals equilibrate. ELApse is sensitive to latitudinal and elevational controls on climate, but it is insensitive to subtle variations in the land surface that create microclimates that tend to preserve snow and ice. We use ArcView GIS to identify terrain characteristics (such as shading, slope, and curvature) that enhance accumulation and preservation of snow and ice. ELApse estimates of modem perennial snow extent in the high peaks of the southern Snake Range, NV are greatly improved by GIS postprocessing. In addition to modern solutions, we estimate the spatial distribution of perennial snow for temperature perturbations of -2C, -4C, and -6C.

URLsites/westernsnowconference.org/PDFs/2001Orddorff.pdf