Deuterium and snow hydrology

HDO samples from natural and laboratory snowpacks show that snowpack metamorphism can reduce the initial variability in the HDO content of snow. Field studies in Colorado indicated melt water percolation reduced the variability from a spread of -229%o to -106% relative to Standard Mean Ocean Water for fresh snow to a spread of -182%a to -158%o for the snowpack in the middle of the melt period. Further studies in the laboratory indicated that isotopic fractionation and vapor transport occurring during depth hoar formation may homogenize the lower part of the snowpack before melt occurs. The homogenization of the HDO content of the snowpack would reduce the problems involved in following snowmelt through the hydrologic system. Preliminary studies indicated three unexpected results. No clear relationship was found between the HDO content of fresh snow and altitude. Fractionation did occur during sublimation from a snow surface. Depth hoar formation appeared to occur because of a continuous diffusion of material, not exclusively by a crystal-to-crystal transfer of mass.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Watershed Sciences

Grantor dc:publisher

Colorado State University. Libraries

Year dc:date.issued

1970

Authors dc:creator

• Judy, Clark Henry, author
• Meiman, James R. (James Richard), advisor
• Friedman, Irving, committee member
• Striffler, William D. (William David), committee member
• Tompkin, G., committee member
• McKee, Blaine K., committee member

• Snow
• Deuterium

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright.

Language dc:language.iso

eng, English

Identifier URI

https://doi.org/10.25675/3.025018

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:mountainscholar.org:10217/234102