Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Snowcover and Snowmelt Processes Studied by Means of Environmental Isotopes

  • Chapter
Seasonal Snowcovers: Physics, Chemistry, Hydrology

Part of the book series: NATO ASI Series ((ASIC,volume 211))

Abstract

Environmental isotope studies can be used as a tool to get better insight into snow hydrology. The isotope labelling of the snowcover of its single layers, of the precipitations, and of the discharge concerning its origin gives possibilities to study the mass exchange between meltwater and snowcover and between the individual snow layers. Measurements of isotope contents have also be used to estimate the net evaporation rate of a snowcover during the ablation period, the fractions of groundwater and surface water discharge from catchment areas with a temporary snowcover, the fraction of snow meltwater and ice meltwater in a glacier discharge. In arctic areas the environmental isotopes enable to date firn and glacier ice cores and the long-term conservation of seasonal variations of isotope concentrations in the glacier ice permits a much better identification of annual ice layers than is possible by conventional strati-graphic methods.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 259.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Ambach, W., Dansgaard, W., Eisner, H. and Möller, J., 1968. The altitude effect on the isotopic composition of precipitation and glacier ice in the Alps. Tellus, 20:595–600.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ambach, W., Eisner, H. and Url, M., 1973. Seasonal variations in the tritium activity of run-off from an Alpine glacier, Kesselwandferner (Oetztal Alps). IASH Publ. 95:199–204.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ambach, W., Elsässer, M., Moser, H., Rauert, W., Stichler, W. and Trimborn, P., 1975. Variationen des Ge -halts an Deuterium, Sauerstoff-18 und Tritium während einzelner Niederschläge. Wetter Leben, 27:186–192.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ambach, W., Eisner, H., Elsässer, M., Löschhorn, U., Moser, H., Rauert, W. and Stichler, W., 1976. Deuterium, tritium and gross-beta-activity investigations on Alpine glaciers (Oetztal Alps) J. Glaciol., 17:383–400, see also in: Isotopes and Impurities in Snow and Ice, Proc. Grenoble Symp. August-September 1975. IASH Publ., 118:285–288, 1977.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arnason, B., 1969a. The exchange of hydrogen isotopes between ice and water in temperate glaciers. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 6:423–430.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arnason, B., 1969b. Equilibrium constant for the fractionation of deuterium between ice and water. J. Phys. Chem., 73:3491–3494.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arnason, B., 1980. Stable isotopes in hydrology. In: J.R. Gat (Editor), Ice and Snow Hydrology, IAEA, Vienna (in press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Arnason, B., Buason, Th., Martinec, J. and Theodorsson, P., 1973. Movement of water through snowpack traced by deuterium and tritium. In: The Role of Snow and Ice in Hydrology, Proc. Banff Symp., September 1972. UNESC0-WM0-IASH, pp. 299–312.

    Google Scholar 

  • Behrens, H., Moser, H., Oerter, H., Rauert, W., Stichler, W., Ambach, W. and Kirchlechner, P., 1979. Models for the run-off from a glaciated catchment area using measurements of environmental isotope contents. In: Isotope Hydrology 1978. IAEA, Vienna, pp. 829–846.

    Google Scholar 

  • Craig, H., and Gordon, L.I., 1965. Deuterium and oxygen-18 variations in the ocean and marine atmosphere. Spoleto Meeting on Nuclear Geology. Stable Isotopes in Oceanography Studies and Paleo Temperature. Lab. di Geologia Nucleara, Pisa, p. 9–130.

    Google Scholar 

  • Craig, H. and Hom, B., 1968. Relationship of deuterium, oxygen-18, and chlorinity in formation of sea ice. Trans. Am. Geophys. Union, 49:216–217.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dincer, T., Payne, B.R., Florkowski, T., Martinec, J. and Tongiorgi, E., 1970. Snowmelt runoff from measurements of tritium and oxygen-18. Water Resour. Res., 6:110–124.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Epstein, S., Sharp, R.P. and Goddard, I., 1963. Oxygen isotope ratios in Antarctic snow, firn and ice. J. Geol., 71:698–7200.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Friedman, I. and Smith, G., 1970. Deuterium content of snow cores from Sierra Nevada area. Science, 1969:467–470.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Friedman, I., Redfield, A.C., Schoen, B. and Harris, J., 1964. The variation of deuterium content of natural waters in the hydrologic cycle. Rev. Geophys., 2:177–244.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gonfiantini, R., 1970. Discussion. In: Isotope Hydrology. IAEA, Vienna, p. 56.

    Google Scholar 

  • Graf, W., Moser, H., Reinwarth, O. and Stichler, W. Investigations of the 18O content of a 100 m ice core from the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf. Annals of Glaciology. Vol. 10 (in press).

    Google Scholar 

  • Gunten, H.R. v., Rössler, E. and Gäggeler, H., 1982: Dating of ice cores from the Vernagtferner (Austria) with fission products and Lead-210. Z. Gletscherk. Glazial-geol. 18 (I):39–47.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herrmann, A. 1978. A recording snow lysimeter. Journal of Glaciology, 20:209–213.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herrmann, A., Lehrer, M. and Stichler, W. 1981: Isotope input into runoff systems from melting snow covers. Nordic Hydrology 12, 309–318.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herrmann, A., Martinec, J. and Stichler, W. 1978. Study of snowmelt-runoff components using isotope measurements. Proc. Workshop/Meeting on Modeling of Snow Cover Runoff. U.S. Army Corps of Eng. Cold Regions Res. and Eng.Lab. (CRREL) Hannover, Sept. 26–28, 1978, 288–296.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herrmann, A., Stichler, W., 1982. Surface runoff separation and discrimination of subsurface storage systems using environmental isotopes. Beiträge zur Hydrologie, Heft 3, pp. 233–252

    Google Scholar 

  • Hewlett, J.D. 1974: Comments on letters relating ‘The role of subsurface flow in generating surface runoff’ by R. Allan Freeze. Water Resources Research, 10:605–608.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuhn, W. and Thtirkauf, M., 1958. Isoto pentrennung beim Gefrieren von Wasser und Diffusionskonstan ten von D und 18O im Eis. Helv. Chim. Acta, 41:938–971.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martinec, J., 1974. Untersuchung der Schneeschmelze mit Umweltisoto pen. österr. Wasserwirtschaft, 26:57–61.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martinec, J., 1975a. Subsurface flow from snowmelt traced by tritium. Water Resour. Res., 11:496–498.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martinec, J., 1975b. New methods in snowmelt-runoff studies in representative basins. In: Hydrological Characteristics of River Basins and the Effect on these Characteristics of Better Water Management, Proc. Tokyo Symp., 1975, IASH Publ. 117:99–107.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martinec, J., Siegenthaler, U., Oeschger, H. and Tongiorgi, E., 1974. New insights into the run-off mechanism by environmental isotopes. In: Isotope Techniques in Groundwater Hydrology, 1. IAEA, Vienna, pp. 129–143.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martinec, J., Moser, H., De Quervain, M.R., Rauert, W. and Stichler, W., 1977. Assessment of processes in the snowpack by parallel deuterium, tritium and oxygen-18 sampling. In: Isotopes and Impurities in Snow and Ice, Proc. Grenoble Symp., August-September 1975. IASH Publ., 118:220–231.

    Google Scholar 

  • Merlivat, L. and Nief, G., 1967. Fractionnement isotopique lors de changements d’état solide-vapeur et liquide-vapeur de l’eau à des temperatures inférieures à 0°C. Tellus, 19:122–127.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moser, H., Rauert, W., Stichler, W., Ambach, W. and Eisner, H., 1972. Messungen des Deuteriumund Tritiumge- haltes von Schnee-, Eis- und Schmelz was serproben des Hintereisferners (Oetztaler Alpen). Z. Gletscherkd. Glazialgeol., 8:275–281.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moser, H., Silva, C, Stichler, W. and Stowhas, L., 1975. Variation in the isotopic content of precipitation with altitude. Final Rep., IAEA, Res. Contract, No. 813/RB.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moser, H. and Stichler, W., 1970. Deuterium measurements on snow samples from the Alps. In: Isotope Hydrology. IAEA, Vienna, pp. 43–57.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moser, H. and Stichler, W., 1975. Deuterium and oxygen-18 contents as index of the properties of snow blankets. In: Snow Mechanics, Proc. Grindelwald Symp., April 1974. IASH Publ., 114:122–135.

    Google Scholar 

  • 0’Neil, J.R., 1968. Hydrogen and oxygen isotope fractionation between ice and water. J. Phys. Chem., 72:3683–3684.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • de Quervain, M., 1951. Zur Verdunstung der Schneedecke. Arch. Meteorol. Geophys. Bioklimatol., Ser. B, 3:47–64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • de Quervain, M., 1973. Snow structure, heat, and mass flux through snow. In: The Role of Snow and Ice in Hydrology, Proc. Banff Symp., September 1972. UNESC0-WM0-IASH, pp. 203–226.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reeh, N., Clausen, H.B., Dansgaard, W., Gundestrup, N., Hammer, C.U. and Johnsen, S.J., 1978. Secular trends of accumulation rates at three Greenland stations. J. Glaciol., 20:27–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reinwarth, O., Graf, W., Stichler, W., Moser, H. and Oerter, H., 1985. Investigations of the 0xygen-18 content of samples from snow pits and ice cores from the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelves and Ekstrbm Ice Shelf. Annals of Glaciology 7, pp. 49–54.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sklash, M.G. & Farvolden, R.N., 1979. The role of groundwater in storm runoff. J. Hydrol. 43, 45–65.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Snyder, F., Sokolov, A., Szesztay, K., 1971. Flood studies: An international guide for collection and processing of data. - Technical papers in hydrology, 8, UNESCO, Paris: 31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stauffer, F., Job, D. and Dracos, Th., 1981. Reaktion des Grundwasserspie gels auf lokale Hebung und ihre hydrologische Bedeutung, eine experimentelle Untersuchung (Reaction of the groundwater level to local rise and its hydrological significance, an experimental investigation). Wasser und Boden, 582–586.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stichler, W., 1987. Stabile Isotope in der Kryosphäre (in preparation).

    Google Scholar 

  • Stichler, W. and Herrmann, A., 1977. Variations of isotopes in snow covers as input of temperate glaciers. Z. Gletscherkd. Glazialgeol., 13:181–191.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stichler, W. and Herrmann, A., 1978: Räumlichze i tliche Variationen der Isotopengehalte randalpiner Niederschlage. 15. Intern. Tagung f. Alpine Meteorologie, Grindel-wald, 1978, 1. Teil. Veröff.schweiz.meteorol. Zentralanstalt 40:271–275.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stichler, W. and Herrmann, A., 1982. Environmental isotopes as tracers in water balance studies of mountainous watersheds. In: Proc. Berne Symp. on Hydrological Research Basins, Vol. 2, 357–368.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stichler, W., Baker, D., Oerter, H. and Trimborn, P., 1982. Core drilling on Vernagtferner (Oetztal Alps, Austria) in 1979: Deuterium and Oxygen-18 contents. Zeit-schrift für Gletscherkunde und Glazialgeologie, Band 18, Heft 1, Seite 23–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stichler, W., Herrmann, A., Rau, G., Modelling snowmelt runoff using environmental isotope and conventional methods. Modelling Snowmelt-Induced Processes (Proceedings of the Budapest Symposium, July 1986). IAHS Publ. No. 155, pp. 231–244.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stichler, W., Rauert, W. and Martinec, J., 1981. Environmental isotope studies of Alpine snowpack. 8th EGS-Meet-ing. Uppsala, August 24–29. 1981. Nordic Hydrology, 12, 4/5 297/308.

    Google Scholar 

  • Toebes, C. and Ouryvaev, V., 1970. Representative and experimental basins. An international guide for research and practice. - Studies and Reports in Hydrology, 4, UNESCO, Paris: 304.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weston, R.E., Jr., 1955. Hydrogen isotope fractionation between ice and water. Geochim. Cosmo. Acta, 8:281–284.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Winterberichte des EISLF, 1974–1980. Schnee und Lawinen in den Schweizer Alpen. Winter 1973/74 bis 1978/79. Winterberichte des Eidgen. Institutes für Schnee- und Lawinenforschung. Weiflfluhjoch/Davos, Nr. 38–44.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. GSF - Institut für Radiohydrometrie, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, D-8042, Neuherberg, Fed. Rep. of Germany

    W. Stichler

Authors
  1. W. Stichler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université du Québec, Ste-Foy, Québec, Canada

    H. G. Jones

  2. Department of Chemistry and Applied Chemistry, University of Salford, Lancashire, UK

    W. J. Orville-Thomas

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1987 D. Reidel Publishing Company

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Stichler, W. (1987). Snowcover and Snowmelt Processes Studied by Means of Environmental Isotopes. In: Jones, H.G., Orville-Thomas, W.J. (eds) Seasonal Snowcovers: Physics, Chemistry, Hydrology. NATO ASI Series, vol 211. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-3947-9_31

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-3947-9_31

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-8251-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-3947-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation