Analytical and experimental study of radiation-recrystallized near-surface facets in snow

TL;DRAbstract

A study on the formation of radiation recrystallized near-surface facets in snow was performed experimentally in an environmental chamber. This recrystallization occurs when surface snow metamorphoses into faceted crystals that result from absorbed solar radiation coupled with cooling effects from longwave and turbulent fluxes. The environmental chamber utilized a metal-halide lamp to mimic solar radiation, which penetrates the snow adding thermal energy at depth. In addition, the ceiling was cooled to simulate a cold sky, thus inducing a net longwave radiation loss at the snow surface. Turbulent flux parameters, including relative humidity and wind velocity were measured. Forty-centimeter thick snow samples with insulated sides were placed in the -10 C chamber on a constant temperature plate also at -10 C. The study focused on the significance of radiation balance and snow density on the recrystallization of snow near the surface. Imposed constant boundary conditions led to formation

Chat with Paper

AI Agents for this Paper