Snow Hydrology

Across Canada, about a third of the annual precipitation falls in solid form. Once on the ground, when temperatures permit, snow will accumulate to form a complex matrix governed by its interactions with the surrounding vegetation, the atmosphere and the soil. Our objective is to better understand the dynamics of snow accumulation and melt. We are particularly interested in the snowpack energy balance and the spatiotemporal variability of this important hydrological variable. We currently have two snow study sites, one in boreal forest and one in the subarctic tundra. Our approach combines field campaigns and modelling.