Hydrological response to Black Carbon deposition in seasonally snow covered catchments in Norway using two different atmospheric transport models

Abstract:

Black Carbon (BC) has been shown to significantly impact snow melt through lowering the albedo of snow and increasing the absorption rate of short wave radiation. Yet few studies have investigated the effect of the enhanced melt on hydrological variability. BC sources for Norway are rather remote and deposition rates low. However, once deposited on snow even low concentrations of BC can have a detectable effect on the snow melt. Variations in snow melt have a direct impact on the snow cover duration and the timing and magnitude of peak outflow. In this study, we use two different atmospheric transport models (the Lagrangian transport and dispersion model FELXPART and the regional aerosol-climate model REMO-HAM) and GAINS emissions to simulate deposition rates over Norway and Statkraft’s Hydrologic Forecasting Toolbox (ShyFT) to simulate the impact of BC deposition on the seasonal snow melt. The Snow, Ice, and Aerosol Radiation (SNICAR) model coupled to the snow routine of the hydrological model is used to determine the albedo of the snow as a function of the BC concentration in two snow layers. To investigate the impact range of BC on the seasonal snow melt, we simulate the catchment hydrology of catchments in south-east, south-west and northern Norway under the impact of deposition rates from both transport models, respectively. Comparing the deposition rates from the two transport models, we observe large differences in the seasonal cycle which in turn results in a significantly different response in the snow melt. Furthermore, we investigate the overall impact of BC deposition on the snow melt and duration on a catchment scale for both transport models.