EFFECTS OF A SNOW PILLOW ON HEAT AND VAPOR TRANSPORT IN THE BLACK SPRUCE/PERMAFROST ENVIRONMENT OF INTERIOR ALASKA

A standard 4 X 5 foot metal snow pillow was installed in the black spruce/permafrost environment of Interior Alaska and instrumented to determine if the presence of the pillow had any appreciable effects on the thermal regime, and the possible migration of water vapor from the thick organic soils into the snowpack during the extended cold winter period. In hopes of separating the two effects, should they both exist, a double layer of 4 mil plastic sheeting of the same size and shape as that of the pillow was installed at the same site. The results of the first winter's operation indicate that the pillow had minor effects on the temperature profiles from the air/snow interface to a point 30 cm below the soil surface. The primary effect appeared to be one of slowing the rate of temperature fluctuation.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Proceedings of the Second Conference on Soil-Water Problems in Cold Regions held in Edmonton, Canada on September 1-2, 1976.
• Corporate Authors:

  American Geophysical Union

  1909 K Street, NW, Division of Hydrology
  Washington, DC  United States  20006
• Authors:
  • Santeford, H S
• Conference:
  • Proceedings of the Second Conference on Soil-Water Problems in Cold Regions held in Edmonton, Canada on September 1-2, 1976.
• Publication Date: 1976

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 1-14

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Heat transfer; Hydrology; Measurement; Moisture meters; Organic soils; Permafrost; Pore water; Seepage; Snow; Snow cover; Snowfall; Soils; Trees; Water vapor
• Old TRIS Terms: Migration /pore water/; Moisture determination; Snow and snowfall; Snow pillows; Snowpack
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00163399
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Engineering Index
• Report/Paper Numbers: Proceeding
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 23 1977 12:00AM