Estimation of thermal conductivity of snow by its density and hardness in Svalbard

Abstract

The results of experimental investigation of thermal conductivity of snow on the Svalbard archipelago in the conditions of natural occurrence are considered. The observations were carried out in the spring of 2013–2015 in the vicinity of the meteorological station «Barentsburg». The obtained data were processed using the Fourier equation of thermal conductivity that allowed determination of the coefficient t of thermal conductivity of the snow with different structure and density. The thermal conductivity of snow depends on the contacts between ice crystals. The larger the contact area, the better the heat transfer from one layer to another. But the strength characteristics of snow, and especially its hardness, depend on the bonds between ice crystals, so the thermal conductivity and hardness of snow depend on the structure of snow. Note, that measurements of snow hardness are less laborious than measurements of its thermal conductivity. For layers of snow cover of different hardness the relationship between snow thermal conductivity and its density has been established. To verify the reliability of the approach to the determination of snow thermal conductivity, numerical experiments were performed on a mathematical model, which did show good convergence of the results. The obtained formulas for the coefficient of thermal conductivity of very loose, loose, medium and hard snow (according to the international classification of seasonal snow falls) are compared with the data of other studies. It was found that when the snow density is within the range 0.15–0.40 g/cm3 these formulas cover the main variety of thermal conductivity of snow. This allows estimating the coefficient of thermal conductivity and to determine the thermal resistance of snow cover in the field by measuring the density and hardness of different layers of snow.