Snowmelt by Heat Transported from Shallow Underground

Abstract

An experiment to melt snow on the ground surface by heat transported from shallow underground was conducted from December 2010 to February 2011. Water filled in an underground tank was circulated through the tube buried just below the ground surface from the tank to under the ground surface. With the system, heat was transported from underground to the water through the wall of the underground tank. Although the temperature of the circulating water fell to 4 ゚C at the beginning of February, it was found to be possible to melt snow. When snowfall rate was 10 cm or less in a day, it was melted in the day, while the depth of snowfall become to 10 cm or more in a day, it remained unmelted partly, but the whole quantity was melted in 2 or 3 days.