Density of Seasonal Snow in the Mountainous Environment of Five Slovak Ski Centers
Abstract
:1. Introduction
- Snow tube construction:
- -
- Design and construct a snow tube suitable for depth-average snow density measurements of a groomed ski piste snowpack with artificial snow added.
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- Identify the precision of the designed snow tube on ski piste and off-piste sites through comparison of snow density measurements with commonly used VS-43 snow tube.
- Density of snow at five ski centers:
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- Identify and compare the mean, minimal, and maximal densities of ski piste snowpack with uncompacted natural snowpack on a seasonal and monthly scale and do the same for new artificial snow and new natural snow measured at the beginning of the winter season.
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- Identify and compare the seasonal and inter-seasonal course densities and variabilities in the densities of ski piste and uncompacted natural snow and describe them with linear mathematical models if applicable to identify slope of increase over the season.
- Snow density versus snow depth relationship on the example of Košútka ski center:
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- Identify the spatial distribution of the snow depth and the spatial variability of the snow density in the ski piste area and analyze the correlations between these two variables and the positions of fixed snow-making lances at the end of the winter season.
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Study Sites
2.2. Snow Tube
2.3. Snow Density
2.4. Snow Density versus Snow Depth
3. Results
3.1. Snow Tube
3.2. Snow Density
3.3. Snow Density Versus Snow Depth on the Ski Piste of Košútka Ski Center
4. Discussion
4.1. Snow Tube
4.2. Snow Density
4.3. Snow Density Versus Snow Depth
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
Appendix A
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Jasenská | Košútka | Králiky | Krahule | Donovaly | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Altitude (m a. s. l.) | 590 | 615 | 855 | 990 | 945 |
GPS | N 49.00976° E 19.00959° | N 48.55909° E 19.53484° | N 48.73626° E 19.01706° | N 48.72824° E 18.94727° | N 48.87313° E 19.22425° |
Geomorphological units | Vel’ká Fatra | Vepor Mountains | Kremnica Mountains | Kremnica Mountains | Staré Hory Mountains |
Aspect | N | NW | NE | SW | N |
Average annual air temperature (°C) | 6.9 | 6.7 | 5.2 | 4.8 | 4.5 |
Average winter air temperature (°C) | −2.8 | −3.1 | −3.9 | −4.1 | −4.4 |
Average annual precipitation total (mm) | 850 | 755 | 1080 | 1025 | 1180 |
Average winter precipitation total (mm) | 160 | 130 | 240 | 220 | 250 |
Average number of day with snow cover (≥10 cm) | 55 | 48 | 70 | 68 | 87 |
Average number of day with snow cover (≥20 cm) | 35 | 27 | 45 | 47 | 66 |
Average number of day with snow cover (≥50 cm) | 9 | 6 | 10 | 12 | 27 |
Average snow cover depth (cm) | 40 | 37 | 53 | 56 | 65 |
Climatic sub region | M7 | M6 | C1 | C1 | C1 |
Watercourse/ Drainage basin | Beliansky potok/Váh | Slanec/Hron | Tajovský potok/Hron | Krahulský potok/Hron | Korytnica/Váh |
Potential natural vegetation | 3th oak–beech stage | 4th beech stage | 5th fir–beech stage | 5th fir–beech stage | 6th spruce-beech-fir stage |
Snow Tube | Cap | Material | Length (mm) | Weight (Cap) (kg) | Inner Ø (mm) | Sampling Time (min.) * |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MM | + | Stainless Steel | 800 | 4.18 (0.76) | 40 | 4 ± 2 |
VS-43 | + | Aluminum | 600 | 1.25 (0.17) | 84 | 15 ± 5 |
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Mikloš, M.; Skvarenina, J.; Jančo, M.; Skvareninova, J. Density of Seasonal Snow in the Mountainous Environment of Five Slovak Ski Centers. Water 2020, 12, 3563. https://doi.org/10.3390/w12123563
Mikloš M, Skvarenina J, Jančo M, Skvareninova J. Density of Seasonal Snow in the Mountainous Environment of Five Slovak Ski Centers. Water. 2020; 12(12):3563. https://doi.org/10.3390/w12123563
Chicago/Turabian StyleMikloš, Michal, Jaroslav Skvarenina, Martin Jančo, and Jana Skvareninova. 2020. "Density of Seasonal Snow in the Mountainous Environment of Five Slovak Ski Centers" Water 12, no. 12: 3563. https://doi.org/10.3390/w12123563