Experimental determination of the coefficient of viscosity of the dry snow
- Authors: Chernov R.A.1
-
Affiliations:
- Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences
- Issue: Vol 64, No 2 (2024)
- Pages: 273-280
- Section: Snow cover and avalanches
- URL: https://journals.rcsi.science/2076-6734/article/view/268498
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.31857/S2076673424020106
- ID: 268498
Cite item
Abstract
Snow compaction is a natural process in the evolution of any snow cover, and this obviously changes the physical and mechanical properties of a snow thickness. The quantitative estimate of this process is a coefficient of the snow viscosity, which is linearly related to the rate of the snow cover deformation The technique for preparation and testing of samples with the fine-grain snow under condition of uniaxial compression at negative temperatures is described. It was determined that values of the snow viscosity coefficient fall within the range from 0.10 to 0.30 g/cm³ for three temperature intervals. The viscosity coefficient of the fine-grain snow varies from 10⁸ до 10¹⁰ Па. The data obtained made possible to find the limits of variability of this coefficient for winter conditions on the Russian plain. A dependence of the viscosity coefficient on the snow density and temperature is proposed, and it describes the series of the above shown experimental data. It is shown that influence of changes in the viscosity coefficient of fine-grain snow on the snow properties depending on its density are comparable in scale to the influence of the temperature. The result may be useful for modeling the evolution of snow cover.
Keywords
Full Text

About the authors
R. A. Chernov
Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences
Author for correspondence.
Email: chernov@igras.ru
Russian Federation, Moscow
References
- Voitkovsky K. F. Mekhanicheskie svojstva snega. Mechanical properties of snow. Moscow: Nauka, 1977: 126 p. [In Russian].
- Yoshida Z. Fizicheskie svojstva snega. Lyod i sneg. Svojstva, processy, ispol’zovanie. Physical properties of snow. Ice and snow. Properties, processes, applying. Moscow: Publishing house MIR, 1966: 377–423. [In Russian].
- Kolomyts E. G. Teoriya evolyucii v strukturnom snegovedenii. Atlas-monografiya. Theory of evolution in structural snow science. Atlas-monograph. Moscow: GEOS, 2013: 482 p. [In Russian].
- Komarov A. Yu. The structure of snow cover in the northeast of the Moscow region. Led i Sneg. Ice and Snow. 2021, 61 (3): 391–403. [In Russian]. https://doi.org/10.31857/S2076673421030096
- Kotlyakov V. M. Izbrannye sochineniya. Kniga 1. Glyaciologiya Antarktidy. Selected works. Book 1. Glaciology of Antarctica. Moscow: Nauka, 2000: 432 p. [In Russian].
- International classification for seasonally snow on the ground. Russian edition. Materialy Glyatsiologicheskikh Issledovaniy. Data of Glaciological Studies. 2012, (2): 81 p. [In Russian].
- Samoilov R. S., Ushakov A. I. Field snow penetration tests. Materialy Glyatsiologicheskikh Issledovaniy. Data of Glaciological Studies. 1983, 43: 209–217. [In Russian].
- Chernov R. A. Metamorphism and thermal properties of fresh snow (study in the Moscow region) Led i Sneg. Ice and Snow. 2016, 56 (2): 199–206. [In Russian]. https://doi.org/10.15356/2076-6734-2016-2-199-206.
- Chernov R. A. Experimental determination of the effective thermal conductivity of deep hoar. Led i Sneg. Ice and Snow. 2013, 53 (3): 71–77. [In Russian]. https://doi.org/ 10.15356/2076-6734-2013-3-71-77
- Shmakin A. B., Turkov D. V., Mikhailov A. Yu. Model of snow cover taking into account the layered structure and its seasonal evolution. Kriosfera Zemli. Earth’s Cryosphere. 2009, XIII (4): 69–79. [In Russian].
- Meteo Publications. Retrieved from: http://rp5.ru Last access: 15 December 2023.
- Mellor M. Engineering Properties of Snow. Journ. of Glaciology. 1977, 19 (81): 15–66.
- Kominami Y., Endo Y., Niwano S., Ushioda S. Viscous compression model for estimating the depth of new snow. Annals of Glaciology. 1998, 26: 77–82.
- Kojima K. Densification of Seasonal Snow Cover. Phis. Snow and Ice. 1967, 1 (2): 929–952.
Supplementary files
