Author(s): Renji Naruse; Nobuyoshi Ishikawa; Norikazu Maeno
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Abstract: Characteristics of an ablation process of snow and ice were studied on traffic roads in Sapporo, northern Japan. Measurements were made at an observation point concerning the thickness and physical properties of snow and ice, and parameters of heat balance during several days in winter of 1987. A decrease in the snow thickness on roads is caused by the densification, erosion and melting of snow. Rates of these processes were evaluated, being much greater than those on the natural snowcover. The surface albedo decreased quickly from 0.7-0.8 of dry new-snow to 0.3-0.6 of wet compacted-snow, which resulted in the main predominance of the absorbed short-wave radiation over various heat sources for melting of snow and ice. The surface hardness also decreased from about 100 kg/ (cm) of dry compacted-snow to about 10 kg/cm2 of wet snow, which caused the erosion rate to be large during a melting period. Consequently, ablation rate of snow due to melting and erosion is accelerated when melting starts, so that snow and ice on roads are ablated much rapidly than on natural snow. The solar radiation and surface albedo are found to be predominant controlling factors of the ablation process of snow and ice on roads.
Year: 1988