A Method for Determining the Thaw Water Content in a Snow Layer

摘要

It is well known that a dry snow layer differs remarkably in m_??_hanical character from a wet one. The wetness of a snow layer is evidently due to the presence of thaw water in it. The present paper describes a method for determining the content of the thaw water in a snow layer. When a mass of snow weighing M gr. contains m gr. of thaw water. heat quantity required to melt the mass should b_??_ equal to 79.60 (M-m) cal., where 79.60 cal. is the latent heat of fusion of ice. If this heat quantity is determined by calorimetry, the thaw water content m/M can be obtained. Ca'orimetry was carried out by means of an ordinary water ca orimeter, upon which so ne improvements were made in order to raise the accuracy of measurement and to make the outdoor manipulation easy. The error was estimated by applying this method to a block of ice at 0°C, which can be consi lered as a special form of snow without thaw water. The value of m/M was fo _??_nd to be acc_??_ra e to the first position above the decimal point, when m/M was expressed in %. Examples of the measurements _??_n the actual snow layer are shown in diagrams, which represent the distribution of the thaw water content along the height of a cross section of the snow layer.