Earth’s Cryosphere, 2024, Vol. XXVIII, No. 4, p. 44-52.
SNOW COVER AND GLACIERS
SNOW STORAGE IN FORESTS AND FIELDS ON PLAIN TERRITORIES OF RUSSIA UNDER MODERN CLIMATE
A.V. Sosnovsky*, N.I. Osokin
Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Staromonetnyi per. 29, Moscow, 119017 Russia
*Corresponding author; e-mail: alexandr_sosnovskiy@mail.ru
Climate change affects the parameters of snow cover, including the distribution of snow storage for Russia territory plains in forests and fields. The comparison of the average long-term maximum snow storage in forests and fields for different climatic periods is carried out. It was found that for Russia flat land, the average maximum snow storage in forests for the periods 1966–1990, 1981–2010 and 1991–2020 were 132, 129 and 125 mm in water equivalent, respectively. Whereas in fields – 115, 120 and 120 mm, respectively. The average value of snow storage in the field for the current climatic period 1991–2020 increased by 4% compared to the period 1966–1990 and decreased in the forest by 6%. Snow storage in forests and in fields for the period 2001–2010 amounted to 127 and 123 mm, and for the period 2011–2020 snow storage in the forest and in the field decreased to 121 and 120 mm, respectively. The ratio of snow storage in forest to its value in fields – the snow accumulation coefficient for 1966–1990, 1981–2010 and 1991–2020 has been constantly decreasing and amounted to 1.16; 1.08 and 1.05, respectively. Maps of the distribution of snow storage and the coefficient of snow accumulation for Russia flat land for different climatic periods have been constructed. The tendency of leveling the maximum snow storage in forests and fields under the modern climate (1991–2020) has been confirmed.
Keywords: snow storage, field, forest, climatic periods.
Recommended citation: Sosnovsky A.V., Osokin N.I., 2024. Snow storage in forests and fields on plain territories of Russia under modern climate. Earth’s Cryosphere XXVIII (4), 44–52.
Received January 22, 2024
Revised April 25, 2024
Accepted June 20, 2024
Translated by A.V. Muravyev