Snowmelt processes and runoff at the arctic treeline: Ten years of MAGS research

Abstract

Under the Mackenzie GEWEX Study, extensive snowmelt and runoff research was carried out at the Trail Valley and Havikpak Creek research basins at the tundra-forest transition zone near Inuvik, Northwest Territories. Process based research concentrated on snow accumulation, the spatial variability of energy fluxes controlling melt, local scale advection of sensible heat from snow-free patches to snow patches, percolation of meltwater through the snowpack, storage of meltwater in stream channels, and hillslope runoff. Building on these studies, process based models were improved, as shown by a better ability to model changes in snow-covered area during the melt period. In addition, various landsurface and hydrologic models were tested, demonstrating an enhanced capability to model melt related runoff. Future research is required to accurately model both snow-covered area and runoff at a variety of scales and to incorporate topographic and vegetation effects correctly in the models. © 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.