dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaFormation of Structure in Snowfields: Penitentes, Suncups, and Dirt Cones
| Authors | M. D. Betterton |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | physics/0007099 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0007099 |
| DOI | 10.1103/PhysRevE.63.056129 |
| Journal | Physical Review E, vol 63, 056129 2001 |
Abstract
Penitentes and suncups are structures formed as snow melts, typically high in the mountains. When the snow is dirty, dirt cones and other structures can form instead. Building on previous field observations and experiments, this work presents a theory of ablation morphologies, and the role of surface dirt in determining the structures formed. The glaciological literature indicates that sunlight, heating from air, and dirt all play a role in the formation of structure on an ablating snow surface. The present work formulates a mathematical model for the formation of ablation morphologies as a function of measurable parameters. The dependence of ablation morphologies on weather conditions and initial dirt thickness are studied, focusing on the initial growth of perturbations away from a flat surface. We derive a single-parameter expression for the melting rate as a function of dirt thickness, which agrees well with a set of measurements by Driedger. An interesting result is the prediction of a dirt-induced travelling instability for a range of parameters.
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"abstract": "Penitentes and suncups are structures formed as snow melts, typically high in\nthe mountains. When the snow is dirty, dirt cones and other structures can form\ninstead. Building on previous field observations and experiments, this work\npresents a theory of ablation morphologies, and the role of surface dirt in\ndetermining the structures formed. The glaciological literature indicates that\nsunlight, heating from air, and dirt all play a role in the formation of\nstructure on an ablating snow surface. The present work formulates a\nmathematical model for the formation of ablation morphologies as a function of\nmeasurable parameters. The dependence of ablation morphologies on weather\nconditions and initial dirt thickness are studied, focusing on the initial\ngrowth of perturbations away from a flat surface. We derive a single-parameter\nexpression for the melting rate as a function of dirt thickness, which agrees\nwell with a set of measurements by Driedger. An interesting result is the\nprediction of a dirt-induced travelling instability for a range of parameters.",
"arxiv_id": "physics/0007099",
"authors": [
"M. D. Betterton"
],
"categories": [
"physics.geo-ph",
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],
"doi": "10.1103/PhysRevE.63.056129",
"journal_ref": "Physical Review E, vol 63, 056129 2001",
"title": "Formation of Structure in Snowfields: Penitentes, Suncups, and Dirt Cones",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0007099"
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