Articles | Volume 8, issue 6
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-2381-2014
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-2381-2014
Research article
 | 
20 Dec 2014
Research article |  | 20 Dec 2014

Elevation dependency of mountain snow depth

T. Grünewald, Y. Bühler, and M. Lehning

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Cited articles

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Short summary
Elevation dependencies of snow depth are analysed based on snow depth maps obtained from airborne remote sensing. Elevation gradients are characterised by a specific shape: an increase of snow depth with elevation is followed by a distinct peak at a certain level and a decrease in the highest elevations. We attribute this shape to an increase of precipitation with altitude, which is modified by topographical-induced redistribution processes of the snow on the ground (wind, gravitation).