DEPOSITION AND EROSION OF SNOW BY WIND
THE THEORIES OF UNIFORM AND NON-UNIFORM DRIFTING SNOW ARE SUMMARIZED WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON DRIFT TRANSPORT AS A FUNCTION OF WIND VELOCITY. USING THE WORK OF OWEN (1964) AND THE OBSERVATIONS OF THE BYRD STATION SNOW DRIFT PROJECT (BUDD, DINGLE AND RADOK, 1966) IT IS CONFIRMED THAT THE SNOW DRIFT PROCESS INVOLVES A MOBILE SURFACE LAYER OF SALTATING PARTICLES, WITH A SELF-REGULATING THICKNESS DEPENDING ONLY ON THE SURFACE STRESS AND NOT ON THE SNOW CONCENTRATION IN THE FREE AIR STREAM. IT IS SHOWN TO BE A CHARACTERISTIC OF SNOW (IN CONTRAST TO SAND OR SILT) THAT SALTATION AND SUSPENSION DRIFT OCCUR SIDE BY SIDE AND THAT THE LATTER REACHES PREDOMINANCE AS THE WIND VELOCITY RISES THROUGH THE MOST COMMON RANGE OF SURFACE VALUES. THEORETICAL REASONS AND OBSERVATIONAL EVIDENCE ARE PRODUCED FOR THE VIEW THAT DEPOSITION OF EROSION OCCURS ON THE SNOW SURFACE DURING SNOW DRIFT PRIMARILY AS THE RESULT OF MASS FLUX CONVERGENCE OR DIVERGENCE IN THE FREE AIR STREAM. THIS IMPLIES THAT THE ASSOCIATED VERTICAL MASS FLUX PENETRATES THE SALTATION LAYER WHICH MOVES UP OR DOWN WITH THE SNOW SURFACE. /AUTHOR/
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Supplemental Notes:
- Res Rept 230, 27 PP
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Authors:
- Radok, U
- Publication Date: 1968-9
Media Info
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Deposits (Geology); Snow; Snowdrifts; Velocity; Wind; Wind erosion
- Old TRIS Terms: Wind deposits; Wind velocity
- Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00218461
- Record Type: Publication
- Files: TRIS
- Created Date: Jan 12 1970 12:00AM