5
14
12
LWCAP
4
10
3
8
6
LWC
2
4
1
2
EXCESS LWC
0
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Time (h)
Figure 14. Behavior of EXCESS_LWC with respect to LWC and LWCAP.
EXCESS_LWC begins at 43 hours when LWC exceeds LWCAP.
Figure 13 describes the behavior of LWC and SWC, with respect to TEMPs. SWC is constant
from the beginning of the simulation until 8 hours, because TEMPs is below freezing and there is no
liquid water in the snowpack that could freeze and increase the value of SWC. SWC decreases from
8 to 15 hours because TEMPs is above freezing. SWC increases from 15 to 33 hours due to rain
which fell during the eighth, ninth, and twelfth hours and then froze (Fig. 12). SWC decreases from
33 hours to the end of the simulation because TEMPs is above freezing. LWC increases from 8 to 15
hours because TEMPs is above freezing and rainfall that fell during the eighth, ninth, and twelfth
hours. LWC decreases from 15 to 33 hours because TEMP is below freezing. At 33 hours, LWC
increases again as TEMPs rises above freezing and then decreases at 43 hours because liquid water is
being released from the snowpack because LWC is greater than LWCAP (see eq 5). The excess water
released from the snowpack is shown as EXCESS_LWC in Figure 14.
Figure 14 shows the behavior of EXCESS_LWC with respect to LWC, and LWCAP. LWC be-
haves as described in Figure 13. EXCESS_LWC is zero until just before 45 hours when LWC ex-
ceeds LWCAP. EXCESS_LWC is greater than zero whenever LWC exceeds LWCAP.
EXCESS_LWC fluctuates due to changes in the air temperature, precipitation, and melting. LWCAP
gradually decreases with time.
Figure 15 shows the relationship between TEMPs and SDEP. SDEP decreases during the entire
simulation due to SNOWMELT and COMPACTION. SDEP decreases most rapidly when TEMPs is
greater than zero. Furthermore, the largest decreases in SDEP are accompanied by the greatest in-
creases in TEMPs. For example, a significant increase in TEMPs accompanies a significant decrease
in SDEP from 33 to 36 hours.
Figure 16 shows the behavior of RHO and TRHO_I relative to TEMPs. For simplification, all of
TEMPs is not included in Figure 16. RHO and TRHO_I are two of the four objects which predict the
value of snowpack density. TRHO_I is greater than RHO for the entire simulation except between
25 and 46 hours and after 87 hours when TEMPs is below 0C. RHO exceeds TRHO_I between 25
and 46 hours and after 87 hours because RHO is affected by the value of SWC, which is affected by
refreezing of liquid water when TEMPs is below 0C. TRHO_I is not as sensitive to changes in SWC
because it is not as closely linked to SWC as RHO.
Figure 17 shows the behavior of TRHO_DEL and TRHO_II relative to TEMPs. In sum,
TRHO_DEL behaves similar to RHO and TRHO_II behaves similar to TRHO_I. TRHO_DEL and
TRHO_II are the other two of the four objects which predict the value of snowpack density.
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