干旱区研究

Arid Zone Research ›› 2019, Vol. 36 ›› Issue (4): 801-808.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2019.04.02

• Land and Water Resources • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Dynamic Snowmelt Process and Its Relationship with Air Temperature in a Small Watershed in the West Tianshan Mountains

Gulimire Hanati1, Haimidan Helili2, LIU Qian-qian3,4, SU Litan3   

  1. 1. Xinjiang Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research,Urumqi 830049,Xinjiang,China;
    2. Party School of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Committee of the Communist Party of China,Urumqi 830000,Xinjiang,China;
    3. State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology,Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Urumqi 830011,Xinjiang,China;
    4. College of Resources and Environment,University of Chinese Academy of Science,Beijing 100049,China
  • Received:2018-11-06 Revised:2019-03-16 Published:2025-10-18

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Abstract: Snowfall,snowmelt and air temperature in a small watershed named as Aredubai in the west Tianshan Mountains were synchronously observed every 30 minutes from 2017 to 2018,and the relationship between snowmelt and air temperature was analyzed.The results showed that the snowfall in the mountainous area increased at first and then decreased.The duration of snow cover accumulation was from December 27,2017 to March 8,2018,and the maximum snowfall intensity was as high as 9.6 mm·h-1 (when the value of snow water was converted into fresh snow depth,it was 96.5 mm·h-1).The rule of snowmelt in the mountainous area was opposite to that of snowfall,that is,the snowmelt was decreased at first and then increased.The snowmelt was divided into three stages.The snowmelt rate was gradually decreased from 3.24 mm·h-1 to 0 mm·h-1 with the decrease of air temperature at the first stage.The snowmelt did not occur when the air temperature was lower than the critical temperature of snowmelt (-13.5--12.0 ℃) at the second stage.The snowmelt rate was gradually increased from 0 mm·h-1 to 3.87 mm·h-1 with the increase of air temperature at the third stage.In the big data relation between snowmelt and air temperature,the correlation coefficient between snowmelt and air temperature was not so significant,and the correlation was 0.708.Under the conditions without precipitation,the correlation coefficient between the 7-day average snowmelt and air temperature was significant,the Pearson correlation coefficient was 0.907,and R2=0.823.When the hysteresis was further considered,the correlation coefficient between snowmelt and air temperature was increased significantly,the correlation coefficient was as high as 0.943,and R2=0.889,which all passed the two-tailed test at significance level 0.01.There was a close correlation between the dynamic change of snowmelt and air temperature in the small watershed named as Aredubai in the west Tianshan Mountains.The response relationship and analysis method of snowmelt to temperature change have certain reference value for improving the ability to cope with future climate change and preventing flood and water resources management.

Key words: small watershed, air temperature, snow cover depth, snowfall, snowmelt rate, west Tianshan Mountains