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Investigating emerging boulder impacts on snowpack ablation

Valence, Eole, Charonnat, Bastien, Baraër, Michel, Wang, Kaiyuan and McKenzie, Jeffrey M.. 2025. « Investigating emerging boulder impacts on snowpack ablation ». Cold Regions Science and Technology, vol. 237.

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Abstract

The impact of emergent boulders within a thinning and melting snowpack remains poorly understood. Our research examines how boulders, exposed by melting snowpack influence the spatial and temporal patterns of snow ablation in the Sh´ar Shaw Tag`a Valley, Yukon, Canada. A multimethod approach, combining thermal infrared time-lapse imaging, drone-based photogrammetry, and terrestrial laser scanning, was used to monitor snow surface temperature, elevation changes, and melt variability. This approach underscores the importance of comprehensive techniques in assessing the spatial and temporal variability of snow surface temperature and topography. Results indicate that boulders accelerate snowmelt in their vicinity during the ablation season, with snow surface thermal characteristics shaped by local terrain and meteorological conditions. The fastest rates of ablation occur during periods of mild weather with no precipitation. These findings highlight the role of boulders as micro-scale heat sources that can modify energy fluxes and influence broader melt patterns in subarctic alpine environments. Understanding these processes is essential for improving snowmelt modelling and predicting hydrological changes in mountain regions affected by climate change.

Item Type: Peer reviewed article published in a journal
Professor:
Professor
Baraër, Michel
Affiliation: Génie de la construction
Date Deposited: 12 May 2025 20:42
Last Modified: 14 May 2025 14:25
URI: https://espace2.etsmtl.ca/id/eprint/30944

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