Energy fluxes and melt rate of a seasonal snow cover in the Moroccan High Atlas

ABSTRACT

In this study, we used an energy balance model and two simple methods based on readily available data to identify the processes driving the point-scale energy and mass balance of the snowpack. Data were provided from an experimental site located at 3200 m. All models were evaluated by comparing observed and modelled snow water equivalents. Performances are variable from one season to the next and the energy balance model gives better results (mean of root mean square error, RMSE = 25 mm and r² = 0.90) than the two simplified approaches (mean of RMSE = 54 mm and r² = 0.70). There are significant amounts of snow sublimation but they are highly variable from season to season, depending on wind conditions (between 7 and 20% of the total). While the main source of energy for melting is net radiation, the amount of heat brought by sensible heat flux is significant for two of the most windy snow seasons.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz Associate editor not assigned

KEYWORDS:

• Snowmelt modelling
• energy balance
• arid mountains
• High Atlas
• Morocco

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The authors gratefully acknowledge funding from the Mediterranean Integrated STudies at Regional And Local Scales (MISTRALS) Continental Surfaces and Interfaces in the Mediterranean area (SICMed) programme for the ReSAMed project, as well as the Agence Nationale de la Recherche TRANSMED programme for the AMETHYST project (ANR-12-TMED-0006-01). The support of the International Foundation for Science (IFS; Grant no. W-5400/1) and the TREMA international laboratory is also acknowledged.