Collaborative Research:
Snow Accumulation and Snow Melt in a Mixed Northern Hardwood-Conifer Forest

Summary

This data set contains snow depth, Snow Water Equivalent (SWE), and forest cover characteristics for sites at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in northern New Hampshire. Measurements were made at 26 sampling sites on 4 March and 1 April 2009.The data were collected as part of a collaborative research project on isotopic exchange in snow. The project aims to develop a quantitative understanding of the processes active in isotopic exchange between snow/firn and water vapor, which is important to Antarctic ice core interpretation. Data are in Microsoft Excel (.xls) format. The data set also includes maps showing site locations in Joint Photography Experts Group (.jpg) format.

Access to this data set is currently restricted by the principle investigator. Please contact NSIDC User Services for more information.

Citing These Data

The following example shows how to cite the use of this data set in a publication. For more information, see our Use and Copyright Web page.

The following example shows how to cite the use of this data set in a publication. List the principal investigators, year of data set release, data set title, publisher: NSIDC, and digital media.

Wemple, Beverley. 2009. Collaborative Research: Snow Accumulation and Snow Melt in a Mixed Northern Hardwood-Conifer Forest. Boulder, Colorado USA: National Snow and Ice Data Center. http://dx.doi.org/10.7265/N54X55R2.

Overview Table

Category	Description
Data format	Microsoft Excel (.xls) Format
Spatial coverage and resolution	Southernmost Latitude: 43.91°N Northernmost Latitude: 43.96°N Westernmost Longitude: 71.77°W Easternmost Longitude: 71.73°W
Temporal coverage and resolution	Data were collected in March and April, 2009
File naming convention	HB_Snow_Surveys.xls
File size	The data file is approximately 188 KB.
Parameter(s)	Snow Depth Mass Snow Water Equivalent
Procedures for obtaining data	Data are currently restricted. Contact NSIDC User Services for more information.

Table of Contents

1. Contacts and Acknowledgments
2. Detailed Data Description
3. Data Access and Tools
4. Data Acquisition and Processing
5. References and Related Publications
6. Document Information

1. Contacts and Acknowledgments

Investigator(s)

Dr. Beverley C. Wemple
Department of Geography
Old Mill 202
University of Vermont
Burlington, VT 05405
USA

Technical Contact

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by National Science Foundation (NSF) Office of Polar Programs (OPP) grant number 0338008.

2. Detailed Data Description

Format

Data are in Microsoft Excel (.xls) format. Maps are available in Joint Photography Experts Group (.jpg) format.

File and Directory Structure

Data are currently restricted. They will soon be available on the FTP site in the ftp://sidads.colorado.edu/pub/DATASETS/AGDC/wemple_nsidc_0441/ directory. The data set consists of one Microsoft Excel workbook, HB_Snow_Surveys.xls, which contains 26 sheets corresponding to each survey site. Site locations are identified in Table 2: Site Location Coordinates. Maps show the site locations.

The site naming convention is described as follows:

xyz1

Where:

Table 1. Site Naming Convention

Variable	Description
x	Aspect (S=south, N=north)
y	Elevation (L=low, M=mid, H=high)
z	Forest Cover Condition (C=clearing, F=forest)
1	Site number (1, 2, or 3 at each combination of aspect, elevation, cover)

File Size

The Microsoft Excel file is 188 KB. Images range in size from 236 KB to 868 KB.

Spatial Coverage

Samples were collected in the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in northern New Hampshire.

Southernmost Latitude: 43.91°N
Northernmost Latitude: 43.96°N
Westernmost Longitude: 71.77°W
Easternmost Longitude: 71.73°W

Site Locations

Table 2. Site Location Coordinates

Site Name	Latitude (decimal degrees)	Longitude (decimal degrees)	Elevation (meters)
NHC2	43.91904444000	-71.75832778000	901
NHF1	43.91884167000	-71.75999722000	875
NHF2	43.91659167000	-71.76110000000	881
NHF3	43.91674444000	-71.76472778000	852
NHC1	43.91651667000	-71.76686111000	858
NMC2	43.92050278000	-71.76926667000	772
NMF1	43.92036111000	-71.76610278000	737
NMC1	43.92070556000	-71.76556944000	734
NMF2	43.92142222000	-71.76380000000	750
NLC1	43.92760000000	-71.76613056000	615
NLF1	43.92894722000	-71.76602500000	601
NLF2	43.93058889000	-71.76081111000	583
NLC2	43.92923889000	-71.75950278000	600
SLC2	43.95124722000	-71.72888889000	503
SLF2	43.94986389000	-71.72896944000	498
SLF1	43.94995556000	-71.73334444000	523
SLC1	43.95022778000	-71.73449722000	538
SMC1	43.95374167000	-71.73997500000	690
SMF2	43.95241389000	-71.73635556000	598
SMF1	43.95311389000	-71.73437500000	606
SMC2	43.95369167000	-71.73318889000	608
SHC1	43.95581111000	-71.74187778000	768
SHF1	43.95637500000	-71.74142222000	774
SHF2	43.95693611000	-71.74047500000	768
SHF3	43.95725278000	-71.73618333000	739
SHC2	43.95735000000	-71.73488333000	725

Site Location Maps

Figure 1. Map of North Facing Slope Site Locations

Figure 2. Map of South Facing Slope Site Locations

Temporal Coverage

Data were collected on 4 March and 1 April, 2009.

Parameter or Variable

Parameters include snow depth, mass, and Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) for 26 sites. Samples were taken at 5 meter intervals going east to west and north to south from the first sample location. Additional information regarding the site location and forest cover conditions is identified in the site name, as described above in Table 1. Samples were collected using Adirondack snow tubes. Snow tube diameter, radius, and area is listed for each set of samples.

Parameter Description

Table 3. Description of Parameters in the HB_Snow_Surveys.xls File

Parameter	Description
Distance	Distance from first sample location, in meters.
Depth	Snow depth, in centimeters and/or inches
Mass	Mass in grams or kilograms
SWE	Snow Water Equivalent, in centimeters and/or inches
Tube Depth	Snow Tube Depth, in centimeters
Tube Radius	Snow Tube Radius, in centimeters
Tube Area	Snow Tube Area, in centimeters^2

Sample Data Record

sample	distance (m)	depth (in)	depth (cm)	mass (oz)	mass (kg)	tare (kg)	mass (g)	SWE (in)	SWE (cm)
1	0		57		3.2	1.61	1590		30.85582802
2	5		82		2.9	1.61	1290		25.03397367
3	10		76		3.06	1.61	1450		28.13896266

 

Tube diameter (cm)	8.1
Tube radius (cm)	4.05
Tube area (cm^2)	51.5299735

 

3. Data Access and Tools

Data Access

Data are currently restricted. Contact User Services for more information.

Volume

The total volume of the data set is about 1000 KB.

Software and Tools

Data are accessible using spreadsheet software.

4. Data Acquisition and Processing

Theory of Measurements

This data set contains snow mass, snow depth, and SWE data collected at 26 field sites in New Hampshire.

Sensor or Instrument Description

Samples were collected using Adirondack snow tubes.

Data Acquisition Methods

Samples were taken at 5 meter intervals going east to west and north to south from the first sample location. Additional information regarding the site location and forest cover conditions is identified in the site name, as described above in Table 1. Snow tube diameter, radius, and area is listed for each set of samples.

Related Data Collections

• Collaborative Research: Laboratory Studies of Isotopic Exchange in Snow (NSIDC-0445)

5. References and Related Publications

Penn, C. A., B. C. Wemple, and J. L. Campbell. 2009. Forest Influence on Peak Snow Accumulation and Snowmelt in a Mixed Northern Hardwood-Conifer Forest of the Northeastern U.S. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting. C31B-0439.

The following related documents are available on the NSIDC Web site:

Table 4. Related Documents

Document	Description	URL
Antarctic Glaciological Data Center	Data Center Web site	http://nsidc.org/agdc/

6. Document Information

Acronyms

The following acronyms are used in this document.

Table 5. Acronyms and Abbreviations

Acronym	Description
FTP	File Transfer Protocol
NSIDC	National Snow and Ice Data Center
SWE	Snow Water Equivalent
URL	Uniform Resource Locator

Document Creation Date

1 January 2010

Document URL

http://nsidc.org/data/docs/agdc/nsidc0441_wemple/index.html