Search results for "snow"
showing 10 items of 134 documents
Toxic impact of the de-icing material to street greenery in Riga, Latvia
2008
Abstract There is little information on the ecological composition of snow on roads as well as the toxic effect of de-icing salt on the ecological status of the street trees ( Tilia x vulgaris H.) in Latvia. Tilia x vulgaris is one of the most widespread tree species of street greenery in the boreo-nemoral zone – in Central, Northern and Eastern Europe. This investigation was done to find out the accumulation of de-icing salt (main elements – sodium and chlorine) in the snow–soil–plant system of street greenery in the central part of Riga (2004–2005), in order to reveal the toxic effect on the ecological status of the street trees ( Tilia x vulgaris ). Snow, soil and leaf samples were colle…
Climate change and reindeer management in Finland: Co-analysis of practitioner knowledge and meteorological data for better adaptation.
2020
Abstract We studied interannual variability and changes over time in selected climate indices in the reindeer management area (RMA) in northern Finland. We present together the knowledge possessed by reindeer herders with information from meteorological measurements over three decades. The practitioner knowledge was gathered via a survey questionnaire addressing herder observations of long-term changes (approximately during the past 30 years) in climatic conditions and their impacts on herding during the four seasons. A set of temperature-, precipitation- and snow-related indices relevant for herding within the RMA was derived from spatially interpolated daily meteorological data (1981–2010…
Mapping snow density through thermal inertia observations
2023
Snow, as a fundamental reservoir of freshwater, is a crucial natural resource. Specifically, knowledge of snow density spatial and temporal variability could improve modelling of snow water equivalent, which is relevant for managing freshwater resources in context of ongoing climate change. The possibility of estimating snow density from remote sensing has great potential, considering the availability of satellite data and their ability to generate efficient monitoring systems from space. In this study, we present an innovative method that combines meteorological parameters, satellite data and field snow measurements to estimate thermal inertia of snow and snow density at a catchment scale.…
Insensitivity of Tree-Ring Growth to Temperature and Precipitation Sharpens the Puzzle of Enhanced Pre-Eruption NDVI on Mt. Etna (Italy)
2017
On Mt. Etna (Italy), an enhanced Normalized Difference in Vegetation Index (NDVI) signature was detected in the summers of 2001 and 2002 along a distinct line where, in November 2002, a flank eruption subsequently occurred. These observations suggest that pre-eruptive volcanic activity may have enhanced photosynthesis along the future eruptive fissure. If a direct relation between NDVI and future volcanic eruptions could be established, it would provide a straightforward and low-cost method for early detection of upcoming eruptions. However, it is unclear if, or to what extent, the observed enhancement of NDVI can be attributed to volcanic activity prior to the subsequent eruption. We conse…
Single-crystal I h ice surfaces unveil connection between macroscopic and molecular structure
2017
Physics and chemistry of ice surfaces are not only of fundamental interest but also have important impacts on biological and environmental processes. As ice surfaces—particularly the two prism faces—come under greater scrutiny, it is increasingly important to connect the macroscopic faces with the molecular-level structure. The microscopic structure of the ubiquitous ice Ih crystal is well-known. It consists of stacked layers of chair-form hexagonal rings referred to as molecular hexagons. Crystallographic unit cells can be assembled into a regular right hexagonal prism. The bases are labeled crystallographic hexagons. The two hexagons are rotated 30° with respect to each other. The linkage…
Estimation of winter leaf area index and sky view fraction for snow modelling in boreal coniferous forests: consequences on snow mass and energy bala…
2012
Abstract in Undetermined Leaf area index (LAI) and canopy coverage are important parameters when modelling snow process in coniferous forests, controlling interception and transmitting radiation. Estimates of LAI and sky view factor show large variability depending on the estimation method used, and it is not clear how this is reflected in the calculated snow processes beneath the canopy. In this study, the winter LAI and sky view fraction were estimated using different optical and biomass-based approximations in several boreal coniferous forest stands in Fennoscandia with different stand density, age and site latitude. The biomass-based estimate of LAI derived from forest inventory data wa…
Changes in the seasonal snow cover of alpine regions and its effect on soil processes: A review
2007
Abstract At its maximum annual development, snow can cover more than half the Northern Hemisphere land area with one-third experiencing seasonal snow cover. The precise conditions that develop during the annual pattern of snowpack development formation have implications for: (i) soil microbiological activity and nutrient transformations; (ii) the capacity of the accumulating snowpack to retain atmospheric derived solutes; (iii) preferential elution and rapid runoff of solutes from the snowpack during periods of thaw; and (iv) leaching of solutes. Long-term records of annual snow accumulation suggest that substantial, regional scale shifts in snowpack characteristics have been occurring. The…
Evaluation of Local Scale PM Pollution Levels in Typical Street Canyon in Riga
2013
The present study describes long term PM10 and PM2.5 changes in typical street canyon with particular emphasis on seasonal, diurnal variations in context with meteorological data. In order to understand PM10 pollution sources during 28 April 2007-31 December 2007, chemical composition measurements were done with particular emphasis on heavy metals (As, Cd, Ni, and Pb), crustal material (Ca, Mg, Na, and K) and anions (sulphates, nitrates, chlorides). Meteorological data used for this evolutional analysis were measured close to traffic related stations and several meteorological parameters were analyzed in relation to particulate measurements. Keep in mind that atmospheric aerosols are genera…
Ecophysiological and morphological features of glacier-dwelling Collembola
1999
Collembola predominantly live in soil, and on the soil surface and its neighboring strata. Some species also dwell in extreme habitats in the arctic and antarctic regions and in the high alpine zones.1–8 Collembola constitute 14–22% of all arctic insect species,9,10 and in tundra and northern forest regions with snow and frost prevailing for the best part of the year they constitute an essential part of the winter-active fauna.11–15 Snow Collembola are reported to occur in masses also in the temperate climate zones of central Europe with species like Hypogastrura socialis, Isotomurus palustris und Isotoma hiemalis frequently among them.16,17 According to Zettel,18 the surface activity of I.…
Jo Nesbø’s The Snowman and the Myth of Týr: Addressing Contemporary Issues through Literary Tradition
2018
Il saggio esplora il modo in cui l'autore di Scandi-noir Jo Nesbø rifunzionalizza il mito norreno del dio germanico Týr (e anche alcuni altri episodi mitologici) nel suo popolare romanzo The Snowman (2007). Nesbø adatta questi miti medievali per creare situazioni ed enigmi allusivi e sfrutta il gioco intellettuale del medievalismo per creare un significato semanticamente denso. Il romanzo quindi esplora e considera varie questioni contemporanee tra cui, per esempio, il valore della “verità” rispetto alla percezione individuale (e contestuale), la supposta dicotomia tra vittima e carnefice, e il conflitto tra individuo e società. L'analisi dimostra non solo la densità semantica di The Snowma…