Snow Energy Exchanges
Latent Heat (Qe) (condensation or sublimation)
- function of:
- latent heat of vaporization (Lv)
- vapor pressure gradient
- turbulence
- If the vapor pressure increases with height:
- water vapor is condensed on the snow
- the Lv is released to the snow
- If the vapor pressure decreases with height:
- water vapor is sublimated from the snow
- the Lv is lost from the snow
- In both cases, there must be mechanical turbulence to maintain the vapor pressure gradient.