Where does snow come from?
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Understanding the Origins of Snow
Snow is a fascinating natural phenomenon with diverse origins and significant impacts on the environment and human societies. This article explores the various sources and processes that lead to snow formation, drawing insights from recent research.
Atmospheric Conditions and Snow Formation
Midlatitude and Subtropical Wave Trains
Snow formation is influenced by atmospheric wave trains, which are patterns of atmospheric pressure that transport moisture and influence weather conditions. For instance, the western Tibetan Plateau experiences snow due to a midlatitude wave train associated with the Arctic Oscillation, while the eastern Tibetan Plateau's snow is influenced by a subtropical wave train triggered by the North Atlantic Oscillation. These wave trains lead to water vapor convergence and ascending motion, resulting in snow accumulation1.
Sea Salt and Snow Chemistry
In polar regions, snow can contain sea salt, which significantly impacts lower tropospheric chemistry. This sea salt can originate from upward migration from sea ice or wind-blown frost flowers. Studies have shown that both processes contribute ions to the snow, with wind transport being a significant factor in the Arctic3.
Snow as a Water Resource
Snowmelt and Water Supply
Snow acts as a natural reservoir, storing water during winter and releasing it during spring and summer. This process is crucial for water supply in many regions, including the Sierra Nevada in California, the Hindu-Kush Himalaya in Asia, and the Andes in South America. However, rising temperatures are causing earlier snowmelt, disrupting the timing of water availability and posing challenges for water management4.
Impact of Climate Change
Climate change is altering snow hydrology, with significant declines in snowpack observed in regions like the western United States. These changes are linked to anthropogenic forcing and are expected to continue, affecting water supply for nearly two billion people4.
Snow in Marine and Mountain Ecosystems
Marine Snow
Marine snow consists of macroscopic aggregates of detritus, living organisms, and inorganic matter. It plays a crucial role in ocean ecosystems by transporting surface-derived matter to the ocean interior and sea floor. Marine snow aggregates contain enriched microbial communities and undergo complex successional changes, significantly altering their chemical and biological properties7.
Bacterial Communities in Snow
Snow in mid-latitude mountain areas hosts diverse bacterial communities, which vary significantly between geographical regions. These communities are influenced by local air bacteria and airborne particulate deposition during snowfall. The origin of air masses that produce snowfall also plays a role in shaping these bacterial communities6.
Conclusion
Snow originates from various atmospheric and environmental processes, including wave trains, sea salt migration, and local air bacteria. It serves as a critical water resource and plays significant roles in both terrestrial and marine ecosystems. However, climate change poses challenges to snow-dependent water supplies, necessitating improved water management strategies and increased global observations to better understand and mitigate these impacts.
Sources and full results
Most relevant research papers on this topic
Different Sources of 10‐ to 30‐day Intraseasonal Variations of Autumn Snow over Western and Eastern Tibetan Plateau
Intraseasonal snow cover variations over the Tibetan Plateau are influenced by different wave trains, with moisture from the Caspian Sea and Bay of Bengal contributing to snow accumulation and positive snow cover anomalies.
Snow in the changing sea-ice systems
Improving observational, remote sensing, and modeling coordination can reduce uncertainties and enhance our understanding of polar climate change.
Highly CitedThe origin of sea salt in snow on Arctic sea ice and in coastal regions
Sea salt bromide in Arctic snow can be supplied by both upward migration from sea ice and wind transport, with frost flowers not being necessary for large sea salt concentrations and bromide deposition.
Highly CitedSnow-related water woes
Rising temperatures have shifted snowmelt from summer to spring, disrupting seasonal rhythms and water supply for nearly two billion people.
Snow processes, modeling, and impact
Snow processes impact climate, society, and infrastructure, with snow providing water supply, hydropower, and recreation, but also posing challenges and threats.
Bacterial diversity in snow from mid-latitude mountain areas: Alps, Eastern Anatolia, Karakoram and Himalaya
Snow bacterial communities in mid-latitude mountain areas are largely derived from local air bacteria, possibly through deposition of airborne particulate during snowfall, but contributions from dust-rich air masses during uplift are also possible.
Characteristics, dynamics and significance of marine snow
Marine snow microhabitats and transport agents in the ocean play crucial roles in photosynthesis, decomposition, and nutrient regeneration, with microbial communities undergoing complex successional changes.
Highly CitedWater and life from snow: A trillion dollar science question
Snow provides essential resources and climate regulation, but its financial importance is currently undervalued, requiring urgent research to determine global, regional, and local rates of snow cover change and link these to financial analyses for rational decision-making.
Highly CitedSnow Forces
Snow forces, originating from slow motion of seasonal snow cover, depend on total water-equivalent and mechanical characteristics, with a Newtonian liquid approximation being the best approximation for applications.
A review of snow in Britain
Climate change is likely to decrease snowfall and lying snow in Britain, impacting river flows and other factors, despite a likely reduction in snow events.
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