Effects of soot-induced snow albedo change on snowpack and hydrological cycle in western United States based on Weather Research and Forecasting chemistry and regional climate simulations

Journal Article · Sat Feb 14 04:00:00 EST 2009 · Journal of Geophysical Research. D. (Atmospheres), 114:D03108

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2008JD011039· OSTI ID:950163

Qian, Yun; Gustafson, William I; Leung, Lai-Yung R; Ghan, Steven J

Radiative forcing induced by soot on snow is a major anthropogenic forcing affecting the global climate. However, it is uncertain how the soot-induced snow albedo perturbation affects regional snowpack and the hydrological cycle. In this study we simulated the deposition of soot aerosol on snow and investigated the resulting impact on snowpack and the surface water budget in the western United States. A yearlong simulation was performed using the chemistry version of the Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF-Chem) to determine an annual budget of soot deposition, followed by two regional climate simulations using WRF in meteorology-only mode, with and without the soot-induced snow albedo perturbations. The chemistry simulation shows large spatial variability in soot deposition that reflects the localized emissions and the influence of the complex terrain. The soot-induced snow albedo perturbations increase the net solar radiation flux at the surface during late winter to early spring, increase the surface air temperature, reduce snow water equivalent amount, and lead to reduced snow accumulation and less spring snowmelt. These effects are stronger over the central Rockies and southern Alberta, where soot deposition and snowpack overlap the most. The indirect forcing of soot accelerates snowmelt and alters stream flows, including a trend toward earlier melt dates in the western United States. The soot-induced albedo reduction initiates a positive feedback process whereby dirty snow absorbs more solar radiation, heating the surface and warming the air. This warming causes reduced snow depth and fraction, which further reduces the regional surface albedo for the snow covered regions. Our simulations indicate that the change of maximum snow albedo induced by soot on snow contributes to 60% of the net albedo reduction over the central Rockies. Snowpack reduction accounts for the additional 40%.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF); Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE Office of Science; USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 950163
• Report Number(s): PNNL-SA-58820
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research. D. (Atmospheres), 114:D03108, Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research. D. (Atmospheres), 114:D03108 Vol. 114
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
58 GEOSCIENCES
AEROSOLS
ALBEDO
CLIMATIC CHANGE
COMPLEX TERRAIN
FORECASTING
HYDROLOGY
SNOW
SOLAR RADIATION
SOOT
SURFACE AIR
SURFACE WATERS
WEATHER