Repository logo
 

Alpine wind speed and blowing snow trend identification and analysis

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorFuller, Jamie D., author
dc.contributor.authorLaituri, Melinda, advisor
dc.contributor.authorCooley, Daniel, committee member
dc.contributor.authorDoesken, Nolan, committee member
dc.contributor.authorElder, Kevin, committee member
dc.date.accessioned2007-01-03T08:06:06Z
dc.date.available2007-01-03T08:06:06Z
dc.date.issued2012
dc.description.abstractThe substantial quantity of climate change related analyses has resulted in increased research efforts concerning temporal wind speed trends. A change in wind speeds over time could have a widespread effect on snow transport and distribution in alpine regions. Since alpine meteorological stations are sparsely distributed, the intentions of this research were to explore North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) to assess long-term trends of atmospheric conditions affecting snow transport with greater spatial coverage. NARR is a consistent, continuous and long-term dataset spanning the extent of North America at a spatial resolution of 32 km2 grids. NARR data were compared to two alpine sites (Niwot Ridge, Colorado and Glacier Lakes Ecological Experiments Station, Wyoming) from1989 to 2009. Multiple analyses were conducted to evaluate dataset agreement and temporal trends of alpine climatic conditions at the annual, seasonal and daily scales. The correlation of temperature, precipitation and wind speed between NARR and alpine in situ datasets showed temperature data as correlated, but wind and precipitation lacked agreement. NARR wind speed data were systematically lower when compared to observational data for both locations, but the frequency of wind events was captured. Thus, to more accurately assess blowing snow dynamics using NARR additional methods would be needed to relate the lower wind speed values to the extent of blowing snow. Trend analyses of wind speed datasets for each temporal scale (annual, seasonal and daily) showed slight trends, minimal significance and trends were not significantly different between NARR and in situ data. The statistical similarities were observed for trends with opposite signatures and slopes and a result of weak trends. Additional blowing snow analyses were conducted using temperature, wind speed and precipitation to estimate probable blowing snow events. The low agreement between NARR and observational data for wind speed and precipitation parameters prohibited the use of NARR to assess blowing snow processes and expand spatial and temporal coverage.
dc.format.mediumborn digital
dc.format.mediummasters theses
dc.identifierFuller_colostate_0053N_10926.pdf
dc.identifierETDF2012500042ECSS
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10217/65342
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherColorado State University. Libraries
dc.relation.ispartof2000-2019
dc.rightsCopyright 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.
dc.subjectwind speed
dc.subjectblowing snow trends
dc.subjectwind trends
dc.subjectalpine climate
dc.subjectblowing snow
dc.titleAlpine wind speed and blowing snow trend identification and analysis
dc.typeText
dcterms.rights.dplaThis Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights (https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/). You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
thesis.degree.disciplineEcosystem Science and Sustainability
thesis.degree.grantorColorado State University
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (M.S.)

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Fuller_colostate_0053N_10926.pdf
Size:
1.41 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download

Collections

2000-2019
Theses and Dissertations