Spatiotemporal Changes of Snow Depth in Western Jilin,China from 1987 to 2018

Seasonal snow cover is a key global climate and hydrological system component drawing considerable attention due to glob-al warming conditions.However,the spatiotemporal snow cover patterns are challenging in western Jilin,China due to natural condi-tions and sparse observation.Hence,this study investigated the spatiotemporal patterns of snow cover using fine-resolution passive mi-crowave(PMW)snow depth(SD)data from 1987 to 2018,and revealed the potential influence of climate factors on SD variations.The results indicated that the interannual range of SD was between 2.90 cm and 9.60 cm during the snowy winter seasons and the annual mean SD showed a slightly increasing trend(P>0.05)at a rate of 0.009 cm/yr.In snowmelt periods,the snow cover contributed to an increase in volumetric soil water,and the change in SD was significantly affected by air temperature.The correlation between SD and air temperature was negative,while the correlation between SD and precipitation was positive during December and March.In March,the correlation coefficient exceeded 0.5 in Zhenlai,Da’an,Qianan,and Qianguo counties.However,the SD and precipitation were neg-atively correlated over western Jilin in October,and several subregions presented a negative correlation between SD and precipitation in November and April.

Classifying moisture sources associated with snowfall in the mountains of Lesotho

An average of eight snowfall events occur each year in the eastern Lesotho Highlands.These snowfall events are typically associated with cut-off low(CoLs)systems and mid-latitude cyclones.However,the moisture sources of the snowfall are unclassified and unclear.The Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory(HYSPLIT)model,an air mass back trajectory model,has been used to evaluate moisture source waters locally in southern Africa and internationally in China and Europe.This study uses HYSPLIT to determine the source moisture of snow in Lesotho.A list of all 82 snowfall events in Lesotho spanning 2017 to 2022 was compiled using the Snow Report SA Instagram page,including the date and location of snowfall.A 72-hour back trajectory for each snowfall event was initiated for both Afriski and the whole of Lesotho.This amounts to models of moisture source trajectories for 28 and 82 snowfall days,respectively.These air mass pathways are classified according to their frequency per snowfall event,per month in the snow season,per year and for the full period.From this,associated moisture source regions and dominant air mass trajectories were identified.This study reports that the air mass trajectories associated with Afriski and Lesotho as a whole are very similar.The most common pathway of air mass trajectories transporting snow-bearing moisture to Lesotho was an inland trajectory from the northern regions of southern Africa.This pathway makes up 16.6%of all trajectories reported and is associated with the Angola Low,the Congo Air Boundary and the St.Helena High Pressure.

Changes in Spring Snow Cover over the Eastern and Western Tibetan Plateau and Their Associated Mechanism

The spring snow cover(SC)over the western Tibetan Plateau(TP)(TPSC)(W_TPSC)and eastern TPSC(E_TPSC)have displayed remarkable decreasing and increasing trends,respectively,during 1985–2020.The current work investigates the possible mechanisms accounting for these distinct TPSC changes.Our results indicate that the decrease in W_TPSC is primarily attributed to rising temperatures,while the increase in E_TPSC is closely linked to enhanced precipitation.Local circulation analysis shows that the essential system responsible for the TPSC changes is a significant anticyclonic system centered over the northwestern TP.The anomalous descending motion and adiabatic heating linked to this anticyclone leads to warmer temperatures and consequent snowmelt over the western TP.Conversely,anomalous easterly winds along the southern flank of this anticyclone serve to transport additional moisture from the North Pacific,leading to an increase in snowfall over the eastern TP.Further analysis reveals that the anomalous anticyclone is associated with an atmospheric wave pattern that originates from upstream regions.Springtime warming of the subtropical North Atlantic(NA)sea surface temperature(SST)induces an atmospheric pattern resembling a wave train that travels eastward across the Eurasian continent before reaching the TP.Furthermore,the decline in winter sea ice(SIC)over the Barents Sea exerts a persistent warming influence on the atmosphere,inducing an anomalous atmospheric circulation that propagates southeastward and strengthens the northwest TP anticyclone in spring.Additionally,an enhancement of subtropical stationary waves has resulted in significant increases in easterly moisture fluxes over the coastal areas of East Asia,which further promotes more snowfall over eastern TP.

Distribution assessment of soil erosion with revised RUSLE model in Tianshan Mountains

aSoil degradation caused by soil erosion is one of the world's most critical environmental issues.Soil erosion in the Tianshan Mountains has caused various environmental problems in the surrounding areas.This study used remote sensing data to analyze the distribution of the factors influencing soil erosion,and the revised universal soil loss equation(RUSLE)to calculate the total amount and distribution characteristics of soil erosion in the Tianshan Mountains in 2019.Due to the large error of RUSLE in soil erosion estimation in mountainous areas,this study modified RUSLE equation based on the characteristics of snow cover in the Tianshan Mountains.The results show that the average soil erosion was 1690.3 t/(km^(2)·year),of which insignificant erosion,slight erosion and moderate erosion accounted for 42,8%,22.4%and 9.9%,respectively.Severe erosion and above accounted for 13.3%.The accuracy of the soil erosion modulus calculated by the RUSLE was only 61.9%,with an average error of 1631.9 t/(km^(2)·year).The average error of the double-coefficient correction method was 1259.1 t/(km^(2)·year),and the average error of the modified formula method was reduced by 40.3%compared with the RUSLE,reaching 973.7 t/(km^(2)·year),and its accuracy reached 76.2%.Very severe erosion and catastrophic erosion are distributed on mountain ridges with higher elevation and on the northern area with higher precipitation.Snow cover has a certain inhibitory effect on soil erosion,and snow cover in alpine mountains is a factor that cannot be ignored in soil erosion research.

Persistent Variations in the East Asian Trough from March to April and the Possible Mechanism

The East Asian trough(EAT)profoundly influences the East Asian spring climate.In this study,the relationship of the EATs among the three spring months is investigated.Correlation analysis shows that the variation in March EAT is closely related to that of April EAT.Extended empirical orthogonal function(EEOF)analysis also confirms the co-variation of the March and April EATs.The positive/negative EEOF1 features the persistent strengthened/weakened EAT from March to April.Further investigation indicates that the variations in EEOF1 are related to a dipole sea surface temperature(SST)pattern over the North Atlantic and the SST anomaly over the tropical Indian Ocean.The dipole SST pattern over the North Atlantic,with one center east of Newfoundland Island and another east of Bermuda,could trigger a Rossby wave train to influence the EAT in March−April.The SST anomaly over the tropical Indian Ocean can change the Walker circulation and influence the atmospheric circulation over the tropical western Pacific,subsequently impacting the southern part of the EAT in March−April.Besides the SST factors,the Northeast Asian snow cover could change the regional thermal conditions and lead to persistent EAT anomalies from March to April.These three impact factors are generally independent of each other,jointly explaining large variations in the EAT EEOF1.Moreover,the signals of the three factors could be traced back to February,consequently providing a potential prediction source for the EAT variation in March and April.

面向未来低碳道路养护的超薄罩面功能性研究综述

Highway maintenance mileage reached 5.25 million kilometers in China by 2021.Ultra-thin overlay is one of the most commonly used maintenance technologies,which can significantly enhance the economic and environmental benefits of pavements.To promote the low-carbon development of ultrathin overlays,this paper mainly studied the mechanism and influencing factors of several ultra-thin overlay functions.Firstly,the skid resistance,noise reduction,rutting resistance,and crack resistance of ultrathin overlays were evaluated.The results indicated that the high-quality aggregates improved the skid and rutting resistance of ultra-thin overlay by 5%-20%.The optimized gradations and modified binders reduced noise of ultra-thin overlay by 0.4-6.0 dB.The high viscosity modified binders improved the rutting resistance of ultra-thin overlay by about 10%-130%.Basalt fiber improved the cracking resistance of ultra-thin overlay by more than 20%.Due to the thinner thickness and better road performance,the performance-based engineering cost of ultra-thin overlay was reduced by about 30%-40%compared with conventional overlays.Secondly,several environmentally friendly functions of ultra-thin overlay were investigated,including snow melting and deicing,exhaust gas purification and pavement cooling.The lower thickness of ultra-thin overlay was conducive to the diffusion of chloride-based materials to the pavement surface.Therefore,the snow melting effect of self-ice-melting was better.In addition,the ultra-thin overlay mixture containing photocatalytic materials could decompose 20%-50%of the exhaust gas.The colored ultra-thin overlay was able to reduce the temperature of the pavement by up to 8.1℃.The temperature difference between the upper and lower surfaces of the ultra-thin overlay containing thermal resistance materials could reach up to 12.8℃.In addition,numerous typical global engineering applications of functional ultra-thin overlay were summarized.This review can help better understand the functionality of ultra-thin overlays and promote the realization of future multi-functional and low-carbon road maintenance.

Changes in snow cover extent in the Central Taurus Mountains from 1981 to 2021 in relation to temperature, precipitation, and atmospheric teleconnections

The snow cover over the Taurus Mountains affects water supply, agriculture, and hydropower generation in the region. In this study, we analyzed the monthly Snow Cover Extent(SCE) from November to April in the Central Taurus Mountains(Bolkar, Aladaglar, Tahtali and Binboga Mountains) from 1981 to 2021. Linear trends of snow cover season(November to April) over the last 41 years showed decreases in SCE primarily at lower elevations. The downward trend in SCE was found to be more pronounced and statistically significant for only November and March. SCE in the Central Taurus Mountains has declined about-6.3% per decade for 2500-3000 m in November and about-6.0% per decade for 1000-1500 m and 3000+ m in March over the last 41 years. The loss of SCE has become evident since the 2000s, and the lowest negative anomalies in SCE have been observed in 2014, 2001, and 2007 in the last 41 years, which are consistent with an increase in air temperature and decreased precipitation. SCE was correlated with both mean temperature and precipitation, with temperature having a greater relative importance at all elevated gradients. Results showed that there is a strong linear relationship between SCE and the mean air temperature(r =-0.80) and precipitation(r = 0.44) for all elevated gradients during the snow season. The Arctic Oscillation(AO), the North Atlantic Oscillation(NAO), and the Mediterranean Oscillation(MO) winter indices were used to explain the year-to-year variability in SCE over the Central Taurus Mountains. The results showed that the inter-annual variability observed in the winter SCE on the Central Taurus Mountains was positively correlated with the phases of the winter AO, NAO and MO, especially below 2000 m elevation.

Study on Image Recognition Algorithm for Residual Snow and Ice on Photovoltaic Modules

The accumulation of snow and ice on PV modules can have a detrimental impact on power generation,leading to reduced efficiency for prolonged periods.Thus,it becomes imperative to develop an intelligent system capable of accurately assessing the extent of snow and ice coverage on PV modules.To address this issue,the article proposes an innovative ice and snow recognition algorithm that effectively segments the ice and snow areas within the collected images.Furthermore,the algorithm incorporates an analysis of the morphological characteristics of ice and snow coverage on PV modules,allowing for the establishment of a residual ice and snow recognition process.This process utilizes both the external ellipse method and the pixel statistical method to refine the identification process.The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is validated through extensive testing with isolated and continuous snow area pictures.The results demonstrate the algorithm’s accuracy and reliability in identifying and quantifying residual snow and ice on PV modules.In conclusion,this research presents a valuable method for accurately detecting and quantifying snow and ice coverage on PV modules.This breakthrough is of utmost significance for PV power plants,as it enables predictions of power generation efficiency and facilitates efficient PV maintenance during the challenging winter conditions characterized by snow and ice.By proactively managing snow and ice coverage,PV power plants can optimize energy production and minimize downtime,ensuring a sustainable and reliable renewable energy supply.

Preparation and Analysis of Carbon Fiber-Silicon Carbide Thermally Conductive Asphalt Concrete

An experimental investigation into the thermal conductivity of CF-SiC two-phase composite asphalt concrete is presented.The main objective of this study was to verify the possibility of using SiC powder instead of mineral powder as the thermal conductive filler to prepare a new type of asphalt concrete and improve the efficiency of electrothermal snow and ice melting systems accordingly.The thermal conductivity of asphalt concrete prepared with different thermally conductive fillers was tested by a transient plane source method,and the related performances were measured.Then the temperature rise rate and surface temperature were studied through field heating tests.Finally,the actual ice melting efficiency of the thermally conductive asphalt concrete was evaluated using an effective electrothermal system.As shown by the experimental results,the composite made of SiC powder and carbon fiber has a high thermal conductivity.When SiC replaces mineral powder,the thermal conductivity of the asphalt mixture increases first and then decreases with the increase of carbon fiber content.In the present study,in particular,the thermal conductivity attained a peak when the carbon fiber content was 0.2%of the aggregate mass.

A progress review of black carbon deposition on Arctic snow and ice and its impact on climate change

The rapid warming of the Arctic,accompanied by glacier and sea ice melt,has significant consequences for the Earth’s climate,ecosystems,and economy.Black carbon(BC)deposition on snow and ice can trigger a significant reduction in snow albedo and accelerate melting of snow and ice in the Arctic.By reviewing the published literatures over the past decades,this work provides an overview of the progress in both the measurement and modeling of BC deposition and its impact on Arctic climate change.In summary,the maximum value of BC deposition appears in the western Russian Arctic(26 ng·g^(–1)),and the minimum value appears in Greenland(3 ng·g^(–1)).BC records in the Arctic ice core already peaked in 1920s and 1970s,and shows a regional difference between Greenland and Canadian Arctic.The different temporal variations of Arctic BC ice core records in different regions are closely related to the large variability of BC emissions and transportation processes across the Arctic region.Model simulations usually underestimate the concentration of BC in snow and ice by 2–3 times,and cannot accurately reflect the seasonal and regional changes in BC deposition.Wet deposition is the main removal mechanism of BC in the Arctic,and observations show different seasonal variations in BC wet deposition in Ny-Ålesund and Barrow.This discrepancy may result from varying contributions of anthropogenic and biomass burning(BB)emissions,given the strong influence by BC from BB emissions at Barrow.Arctic BC deposition significantly influences regional climate change in the Arctic,increasing fire activities in the Arctic have made BB source of Arctic BC more crucial.On average,BC in Arctic snow and ice causes an increase of+0.17 W·m^(–2)in radiative forcing and 8 Gt·a^(–1)in runoff in Greenland.As stressed in the latest Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme report,reliable source information and long-term and high-resolution observations on Arctic BC deposition will be crucial for a more comprehensive understanding and a better mitigation strategy of Arctic BC.In the future,it is necessary to collect more observations on BC deposition and the corresponding physical processes(e.g.,snow/ice melting,surface energy balance)in the Arctic to provide reliable data for understanding and clarifying the mechanism of the climatic impacts of BC deposition on Arctic snow and ice.

A World of Ice and Snow Being also Invaluable Asset:A Case Study of the"Snow Village"

Based on field visit and interview,the current situation of snow village in China is summarized from four aspects:core scenic spots in snow village,skiing industry in snow village,film and television industry in snow village,and ice and snow agritainment.The investigation found that there are still significant problems in homogenization,scenic area infrastructure,and government regulation in snow village.Targeted solutions are proposed from four aspects:tapping internal advantages,strengthening top-level design and infrastructure construction,promoting tourism industry upgrading,and collaborating to innovate the ice and snow tourism supply chain,in order to further promote the economic development of snow village.

Impact of Climate Change on Mountaineering Activities in Haba Snow Mountain Reserve and the Development of Surrounding Communities

In the context of global climate change, this study reviews and discusses the three aspects of ecology, economic development of surrounding communities, ecological balance and snow mountain activities in the Haba Snow Mountain Reserve through literature collation and research. 1) The Hengduan Mountain Plate of Haba Snow Mountain is affected by the high altitude temperate monsoon and is sensitive to climate change. There has been continuous glacier melting and snow line fluctuations. Although there is no forest line movement, the vegetation at the junction of the forest line has increased. 2) Human activities in the Haba Snow Mountain Reserve have shown an active trend, and the Biomass in various ecosystems in the region is inversely correlated. 3) Climate change will have a negative impact on landscape attraction and tourism safety in snowy mountain areas. 4) Haba Snow Mountain Reserve needs more perfect biological species statistical research and dynamic vegetation research to support the establishment of a perfect ecological protection strategy and ecological early warning in the region. 5) As the frequency of tourist activities in the Haba Protected Area increases, corresponding environmental protection signage, garbage cleaning methods, and tourist education have not been synchronizedly improved.

Collapse Behavior of Pipe-Framed Greenhouses with and without Reinforcement under Snow Loading:A 3-D Finite Element Analysis

The present paper first investigates the collapse behavior of a conventional pipe-framed greenhouse under snow loading based on a 3-D finite element analysis,in which both geometrical and material non-linearities are considered.Three snow load distribution patterns related to the wind-driven snow particle movement are used in the analysis.It is found that snow load distribution affects the deformation and collapse behavior of the pipe-framed greenhouse significantly.The results obtained in this study are consistent with the actual damage observed.Next,discussion is made of the effects of reinforcements by adding members to the basic frame on the strength of the whole structure,in which seven kinds of reinforcement methods are examined.A buckling analysis is also carried out.The results indicate that the most effective reinforcement method depends on the snow load distribution pattern.

Analysis of Characteristics of Snow Accumulation and Its Meteorological Influencing Factors during a Snowstorm Process in Ulanqab City

Based on the data of national observation stations of CMISS system,artificial encrypted observation data of snow depth,ERA5 reanalysis data,the snowfall process in Ulanqab City from March 17 to 19,2022 was analyzed.It is found that the influencing system of the snowfall process was upper-air trough combined with ground inverted trough.Snowfall was not proportional to snow depth,and the relationship between the maximum snow depth and total snowfall varied in different value intervals.A large intensity of snowfall was a necessary condition for the formation of abundant accumulated snow when ground temperature was higher than 0℃.After the formation of accumulated snow,ground temperature changed less,and it was easy to produce accumulated snow as ground temperature was lower.The lower the temperature,the more conducive to the generation of accumulated snow.

Impact of the Shrinkage of Arctic Sea Ice on Eurasian Snow Cover Changes in 1979-2021

Recent research has shown that snow cover induces extreme wintertime cooling and has detrimental impacts.Although the dramatic loss of Arctic sea ice certainly has contributed to a more extreme climate,the mechanism connecting sea-ice loss to extensive snow cover is still up for debate.In this study,a significant relationship between sea ice concentration(SIC)in the Barents-Kara(B-K)seas in November and snow cover extent over Eurasia in winter(November-January)has been found based in observational datasets and through numerical experiments.The reduction in B-K sea ice gives rise to a negative phase of Arctic Oscillation(AO),a deepened East Asia trough,and a shallow trough over Europe.These circulation anomalies lead to colder-than-normal Eurasian mid-latitude temperatures,providing favorable conditions for snowfall.In addition,two prominent cyclonic anomalies near Europe and Lake Baikal affect moisture transport and its divergence,which results in increased precipitation due to moisture advection and wind convergence.Furthermore,anomalous E-P flux shows that amplified upward propagating waves associated with the low SIC could contribute to the weakening of the polar vortex and southward breakouts of cold air.This work may be helpful for further understanding and predicting the snowfall conditions in the middle latitudes.

Black Carbon Size in Snow of Chinese Altai Mountain in Central Asia

Black carbon(BC)in snow plays an important role to accelerate snow melting.However,current studies mostly focused on BC concentrations,few on their size distributions in snow which affected BC’s effect on albedo changes.Here we presented refractory BC(rBC)concentrations and size distributions in snow collected from Chinese Altai Mountains in Central Asia from November 2016 to April 2017.The results revealed that the average rBC concentrations were 5.77 and2.82 ng g-1for the surface snow and sub-surface snow,which were relatively higher in the melting season(April)than that in winter(November-January).The mass median volume-equivalent diameter of rBC size in surface snow was approximately at 120-150 nm,which was typically smaller than that in the atmosphere(about 200 nm for urban atmosphere).However,there existed no specific mass median volume-equivalent diameter of BC size for sub-surface snow in winter.While during the melting season,the median mass size of rBC in sub-surface snow was similar to that in surface snow.Backward trajectories indicated that anthropogenic sourced BC dominated rBC in snow(70%-85%).This study will promote our understanding on BC size distributions in snow,and highlight the possible impact of BC size on climate effect.

Seasonal snow cover patterns explain alpine treeline elevation better than temperature at regional scale

Unprecedented modern rates of warming are expected to advance alpine treelines to higher elevations,but global evidence suggests that current treeline dynamics are influenced by a variety of factors.Seasonal snow cover has an essential impact on tree recruitment and growth in alpine regions,which may in turn influence current treeline elevation;however,little research has been conducted on its role in regional treeline formation.Based on 11,804treeline locations in the eastern Himalayas,we extracted elevation,climate,and topographic data for treeline and snowline.Specifically,we used linear and structural equation modelling to assess the relationship between these environmental factors and treeline elevation,and the climate-snow-treeline interaction mechanism.The results showed that the treeline elevation increased with summer temperature and permanent or seasonal snowline elevation,but decreased with snow cover days and spring temperature at the treeline positions(P<0.001).Importantly,spring snowline elevation(33.4%)and seasonal snow cover days(21.1%)contributed the most to treeline elevation,outperforming the permanent snowline,temperature,precipitation,and light.Our results support the assertion that the temperature-moisture interaction affects treeline elevation in the eastern Himalayas,but we also found that the effects were strongly mediated by seasonal snow cover patterns.The increasing tendency of snow cover governed by climate humidification observed in the eastern Himalayas,is likely to limit future treeline advancement and may even cause treeline decline due to the mortality of the remaining old trees.Together,our findings highlight the role of seasonal snow cover patterns in determining treeline elevation in the eastern Himalayas,which should be considered when assessing the potential for treeline ascent in snow-mediated alpine systems elsewhere.

Influence of Qinghai-Xizang Plateau snow cover on interannual variability of Western North Pacific tropical cyclone tracks

Track density function(TDF)was computed for all Western North Pacific tropical cyclones(WNP TCs)tracks from 1950 to 2018,and the TDFs were further investigated using principal component analysis(PCA)to analyze their inter-annual spatial and temporal variability.Then,the relationships between each empirical orthogonal function(EOF)mode and the typhoon count,typhoon landfall count,track pattern,and the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau snow cover(QXPSC)were examined,and the possible physical mechanisms implied by the statistical relationship were explored.The results show the QXPSC significantly affected the surface-atmosphere heat exchange through snow cover(SC)level,then changed the East Asian summer monsoon regional circulation pattern,influenced the subtropical high-pressure system strength and location,and ultimately affected the WNP TCs track patterns and thus changed their landfall locations.