Document Type
Thesis
Date of Degree Completion
Spring 2017
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Geological Sciences
Committee Chair
Susan Kaspari
Second Committee Member
Carey Gazis
Third Committee Member
Megan K. Walsh
Abstract
Wildfires in the seasonal snow zone affect both snow accumulation and ablation patterns by decreasing forest canopy and depositing light absorbing impurities (LAI) on the snowpack. LAI such as black carbon (BC), burned woody debris, and dust reduce snow albedo (reflectance), accelerate melt, and affect the timing and availability of water resources. Charred trees in post-wildfire forests provide a significant source of BC that is deposited on the snowpack for years following a wildfire, and this effect varies with burn conditions and forest structure. Snow samples were gathered from five sites of varying burn age (0.7, 2.7, 3.8, and 9.8 years) and burn severity throughout the Cascade Mountain Range in Washington State to characterize the spatial and temporal variability of LAI deposition and quantify changes in reflectance by LAI. BC and other LAI concentrations in snow samples were measured using a Single Particle Soot Photometer (SP2), gravimetric filtration, and spectroradiometer analysis. These analyses demonstrate that the greatest BC deposition is localized to high burn severity areas, and decreases significantly within ten years of a wildfire. Spectroradiometer data demonstrate that BC has the strongest effect on reduced albedo per unit mass of all impurities. SNOTEL data from Table Mountain indicates that complete snowmelt occurs an average of 48 days earlier in post-wildfire forests, compared to pre-fire conditions and regardless of temperature.
Recommended Citation
Uecker, Ted, "Post-wildfire black carbon deposition on the snowpack in the Cascade Range, Washington State: Temporal and spatial variability with implications for accelerated melt" (2017). All Master's Theses. 670.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/etd/670
Language
English