Year : 2004 Ground Temperatures under Ski Pistes with Artificial and Natural (original) (raw)
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Ground Temperatures under Ski Pistes with Artificial and Natural Snow
Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, 2004
Increasing production of artificial snow in ski resorts is controversially discussed, but only few investigations have been carried out systematically to specify the environmental impacts. We measured snow depth and density from groomed ski pistes (runs) with compacted snow and their effects on ground temperatures and timing of snowmelt. We analyzed groomed pistes with and without artificial snow (10 each) as well as adjacent ungroomed off-piste control plots beside the piste. On pistes with natural snow, the thin and compacted snow cover led to severe and long lasting seasonal soil frost. On pistes with artificial snow, soil frost occurred less frequently because of increased insulation due to the greater snow depth. However, due to the greater snow mass, the beginning of the snowfree season was delayed by more than 2 wk. Average winter ground temperatures under a continuous snow cover were decreased by approximately 18C on both piste types compared with off-piste control plots. The results suggest that the heat balance of alpine soils is changed by both piste types, either by an extensive heat loss on pistes with natural snow or by prolonged snow cover on pistes with artificial snow.
Annals of Glaciology, 2004
Earlier studies have indicated that the soil on groomed ski slopes may be subjected to more pronounced cooling than the soil below a natural snowpack. We analyzed the thermal impacts of ski-slope preparation in a sub-alpine ski resort in central Switzerland (1100 m a.s.l.) where artificial snow was produced. Physical snow properties and soil temperature measurements were carried out on the ski slope and off-piste during winter 1999/2000. The numerical soil^vegetation^atmosphere transfer model COUP was run for both locations, with a new option to simulate the snowpack development on a groomed ski slope. Snow density, snow hardness and thermal conductivity were significantly higher on the ski slope than in the natural snowpack. However, these differences did not affect the cooling of the soil, since no difference was observed between the ski slope and the natural snow cover. This might be because cold periods were rare and short and thus any snowpack could protect the soil from freezing. The major impact of the ski-slope grooming was a 4 week delay in snowmelt and soil warming at the end of the season. The newly implemented option proved to be a useful strategy for simulating the snowpack of a ski slope. However, snow density was underestimated by the model as it could not account adequately for compaction due to grooming traffic. Our study demonstrates that there is no site-independent answer as to whether a groomed snowpack affects the thermal conditions in the soil.
The Cryosphere Discussions, 2016
The production of Machine Made (MM) snow is now generalized in ski resorts and represents the most common adaptation method to mitigate the impacts of both the natural variability and projected changes of the climate on the snow conditions to guarantee suitable conditions for skiing. Most investigations of the impact of snow conditions on the economy of the ski industry under past, present or projected climate focus on the production of MM snow. So far, none of them accounted for the efficiency of the snowmaking process i.e. the actual MM snow mass that can be recovered from a given water mass used for snowmaking. The present study consisted in observations and interpolation on a 0.25 m 2 grid of snow conditions (depth and mass) using a Differential GPS method and snow density coring, after single sessions of production (prior to MM snow spreading by grooming machines) and on the ski slope as opened to skiers, on a beginner trail in Les Deux Alpes ski resort (French Alps). A detailed physically based snowpack model accounting for grooming and snowmaking was used to address the seasonal evolution of the snowpack and compared to the observations. Our results show that approximately 30% of the water mass can be recovered as MM snow within 10 m from the center of a MM snow pile after the production and 50% within 20 m. The observations and simulations on the ski slope were relatively consistent with 60% (± 10%) of the water mass used for snowmaking within the edge of the ski slope. We also addressed the losses due to thermodynamic effects resulting in less than 10% of the total water mass in the present case. The main uncertainty pertains to the surface of observations: the surface of the ski slope opened to skiers changed along the season and objective uncertainties exist, in particular from man-made decisions. These results suggest that even in the ideal conditions for production a significant fraction of the water used for snowmaking can not be found as MM snow within the edge of the ski slope with most of the lost fraction of water due to site dependent characteristics (e.g. meteorological conditions, topography, human decisions). 1 Introduction Snow is a vital material for the ski industry (Fauve et al., 2002) encouraging ski lifts operators to increasing technical methods of snow management to mitigate their dependency to the variability of both the quality (Armstrong and Brun, 2008) and the quantity of snow (Durand et al., 2009; Hughes and Robinson, 1996). Thanks to grooming and snowmaking ski resorts operators intend to provide steadier and safer conditions (Bergstrom and Ekeland, 2004) and to ensure the operation of ski 1
Management, winter climate and plant–soil feedbacks on ski slopes: a synthesis
Ecological Research, 2014
Owing to the increasing popularity of skiing and the upslope movement of the snow reliability line in mountain regions, more and more alpine environments are being turned into skiing areas, with strong impacts on ecosystem functions and biodiversity. Creation and management of ski slopes cause physical disturbance to soil and vegetation, while (artificial) snow supplements affect soil structure, chemistry, moisture and temperature regimes as well as shifts in snow season and growing season length. Vegetation-soil feedbacks may influence the outcome of these interactive effects on soil and vegetation, with possible consequences for soil erosion. Moreover, climate warming will lead to changing snow cover and duration, which will interact with ski slope management effects on soil and vegetation and its feedbacks. Based on a conceptual framework we review the main elements of these interactive effects on soil and vegetation on new and established ski slopes. We also set a research agenda with specific studies that could further advance our understanding of interacting ski slope management, winter climate, vegetation-soil feedbacks and ecosystem functioning. In such new investigations, alpine climate change ecology can probably learn much from the ''experimental'' disturbance and snow manipulations on ski slopes and vice versa.
Density of Seasonal Snow in the Mountainous Environment of Five Slovak Ski Centers
Water
Climate change affects snowpack properties indirectly through the greater need for artificial snow production for ski centers. The seasonal snowpacks at five ski centers in Central Slovakia were examined over the course of three winter seasons to identify and compare the seasonal development and inter-seasonal and spatial variability of depth average snow density of ski piste snow and uncompacted natural snow. The spatial variability in the ski piste snow density was analyzed in relation to the snow depth and snow lances at the Košútka ski center using GIS. A special snow tube for high-density snowpack sampling was developed (named the MM snow tube) and tested against the commonly used VS-43 snow tube. Measurements showed that the MM snow tube was constructed appropriately and had comparable precision. Significant differences in mean snow density were identified for the studied snow types. The similar rates of increase for the densities of the ski piste snow and uncompacted natural ...
Cold Regions Science and Technology, 2008
We present technical methods aiming at a reduction of snow and ice ablation within an Austrian glacier ski resort. From April 2004 to September 2005 we carried out field studies at Schaufelferner (2870 m a.s.l.) and Gaiβkarferner (3100 m a.s.l.), two glaciers situated in the Stubai Alps. We injected water into the winter snow and studied the effects of compaction and artificial surface cover blankets. Results demonstrate a high efficiency of special blankets (geotextiles) that are placed on the snow surface in spring. Average melt rates and total ablation are reduced by 60%, conserving around 300 kgm − 2 of winter snow over the ablation periods 2004 and 2005, respectively. Crucial material properties are identified that play an important role in the performance. It is possible to increase glacier mass balance using a 0.004 m thin cover material.
Environmental effects associated with snow grooming and
The expansion of ski facilities on public conservation land administered by Department of Conservation (DOC) is placing increased pressure on fragile subalpine and alpine ecosystems. Snow grooming in particular has the potential to disturb both soils and vegetation. Field visits to three west Otago ski fields located on land managed by DOC showed that cushionfields are the most vulnerable to damage from snow grooming. To determine the nature and extent of damage to cushionfields 10 permanent 30 m transects were established across cushionfields in 1997 in areas that were groomed and skied, areas that were skied, and in undisturbed (control) areas at Treble Cone Ski Field. Data were collected at 0.3 m intervals to estimate percentage ground cover for six classes: live vascular plants, moss, lichen, dead vegetation and litter, bare ground, and rock and gravel. The frequency of each plant species was also recorded. Measurements of depth of Ahorizon, soil bulk density, and penetration resistance were made at 3 m intervals along each transect. There was a statistically significant difference in the cover of live vegetation among the three treatments. Cushionfields that were groomed had a lower cover of live vascular vegetation than the other treatments. Those cushionfields that had been groomed for only a year had the lowest cover of live vegetation. There were no significant differences in species richness and composition between the two treatments and the control, nor were there any statistical differences in soil bulk densities and penetration resistance. While damage to cushionfields from snow grooming and skiing at Treble Cone is not excessive, it is widespread and ongoing. Transects should be remonitored within 5 years to assess any long-term changes in plant cover, and selected transects should be surveyed for snow depths and densities in the winter to determine the degree and extent of snow compaction.
Observations and simulations of snow surface temperature on cross-country ski racing courses
Cold Regions Science and Technology, 2011
Fast skis are essential for an Olympic crosscountry skiing athlete. Accurate and timely estimates of the snow surface conditions on a race course are needed to prepare race skis. For training purposes prior to the 2010 Winter Olympics, snow surface and snowpack observations were collected on the crosscountry racing track at the Whistler Olympic Park, British Columbia during February 2008 and 2009. During periods with clear skies, snow surface temperatures varied by more than 10°C around the course while temperatures in the stadium area increased by more than 16°C from morning to early afternoon. Simulations using the SNOWPACK model of snow surface temperature in the stadium area were within 1°C of those observed during most of a four day period. Idealized simulations were completed varying cloud cover, slope and aspect.
2014
The ski industry in the United States is being threatened by climate change due to rising snowlines, earlier spring melt, and more winter precipitation falling as rain. Snow depth, duration, and timing all are critical factors in the number of skier visit days. The ski industry, worth over $10 billion nationally, is important for the economic vitality of mountain communities in thirty-seven states, but profits decline in warm, dry winters. There are limited climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies available to the industry. Artificial snowmaking is utilized to ameliorate the experience of limited snowfall but is energy-intensive, water-demanding, and has high upfront costs. In addition, artificial snowmaking may be limited by warming winter temperatures and, in certain basins, access to water in the next few decades. In order to better plan future investments in snowmaking equipment and other adaptations, climate projections are needed at a sub-regional scale. However, un...