Rocky Mountain Regional Snowpack Chemistry Monitoring Study Active
Snowpacks collect atmospheric deposition throughout the snowfall season and offer a unique opportunity to obtain a composite sample of the chemistry of most of the annual precipitation at high elevations [> 1,800 meters]. The purpose of the snowpack network is to determine annual concentrations and depositional amounts of selected nutrients and other constituents in snow resulting from atmospheric deposition, determine long-term trends in these concentrations, and to support investigations of the effects of atmospheric deposition on local and regional ecological systems. Since 1993, the project has become the most expansive and comprehensive snowpack-chemical monitoring network of its kind.
Review data collected since 1993:
Monitoring Sites:
- Interactive Snowpack Chemistry Map
- Monitoring sites and links to collected data by region and state
- List of monitoring sites
Snowpack Chemistry Data Collected:
Publications associated with this project.
Runoff sensitivity to snow depletion curve representation within a continental scale hydrologic model
Linking transit times to catchment sensitivity to atmospheric deposition of acidity and nitrogen in mountains of the western United States
Increasing aeolian dust deposition to snowpacks in the Rocky Mountains inferred from snowpack, wet deposition, and aerosol chemistry
Climate-change signals in national atmospheric deposition program precipitation data
Changing regional emissions of airborne pollutants reflected in the chemistry of snowpacks and wetfall in the Rocky Mountain region, USA, 1993–2012
Isotopes in North American Rocky Mountain snowpack 1993–2014
Spatial patterns of atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and sulfur using ion-exchange resin collectors in Rocky Mountain National Park, USA
Mapping critical loads of nitrogen deposition for aquatic ecosystems in the Rocky Mountains, USA
Rocky Mountain snowpack physical and chemical data for selected sites, 2010
Rocky Mountain snowpack physical and chemical data for selected sites, 2009
Rocky Mountain Snowpack Physical and Chemical Data for Selected Sites, 1993-2008
Trends in snowpack chemistry and comparison to National Atmospheric Deposition Program results for the Rocky Mountains, US, 1993-2004
Below are partners associated with this project.
- Overview
Snowpacks collect atmospheric deposition throughout the snowfall season and offer a unique opportunity to obtain a composite sample of the chemistry of most of the annual precipitation at high elevations [> 1,800 meters]. The purpose of the snowpack network is to determine annual concentrations and depositional amounts of selected nutrients and other constituents in snow resulting from atmospheric deposition, determine long-term trends in these concentrations, and to support investigations of the effects of atmospheric deposition on local and regional ecological systems. Since 1993, the project has become the most expansive and comprehensive snowpack-chemical monitoring network of its kind.
Review data collected since 1993:
Monitoring Sites:
- Interactive Snowpack Chemistry Map
- Monitoring sites and links to collected data by region and state
- List of monitoring sites
Snowpack Chemistry Data Collected:
- Data
- Publications
Publications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 34Runoff sensitivity to snow depletion curve representation within a continental scale hydrologic model
The spatial variability of snow water equivalent (SWE) can exert a strong influence on the timing and magnitude of snowmelt delivery to a watershed. Therefore, the representation of subgrid or subwatershed snow variability in hydrologic models is important for accurately simulating snowmelt dynamics and runoff response. The U.S. Geological Survey National Hydrologic Model infrastructure with the PAuthorsGraham A. Sexstone, Jessica M. Driscoll, Lauren Hay, John C. Hammond, Theodore B. BarnhartLinking transit times to catchment sensitivity to atmospheric deposition of acidity and nitrogen in mountains of the western United States
Transit times are hypothesized to influence catchment sensitivity to atmospheric deposition of acidity and nitrogen (N) because they help determine the amount of time available for infiltrating precipitation to interact with catchment soil and biota. Transit time metrics, including fraction of young water (Fyw) and mean transit time (MTT), were calculated for 11 headwater catchments in mountains oAuthorsDavid W. Clow, Alisa Mast, James O. SickmanIncreasing aeolian dust deposition to snowpacks in the Rocky Mountains inferred from snowpack, wet deposition, and aerosol chemistry
Mountain snowpacks are a vital natural resource for ∼1.5 billion people in the northern Hemisphere, helping to meet human and ecological demand for water in excess of that provided by summer rain. Springtime warming and aeolian dust deposition accelerate snowmelt, increasing the risk of water shortages during late summer, when demand is greatest. While climate networks provide data that can be useAuthorsDavid W. Clow, Mark W. Williams, Paul F. SchusterClimate-change signals in national atmospheric deposition program precipitation data
National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP)/National Trends Network precipitation type, snow-season duration, and annual timing of selected chemical wet-deposition maxima vary with latitude and longitude within a 35-year (1979–2013) data record for the contiguous United States and Alaska. From the NADP data collected within the region bounded by 35.6645°–48.782° north latitude and 124°–68° westAuthorsGregory A. Wetherbee, Alisa MastChanging regional emissions of airborne pollutants reflected in the chemistry of snowpacks and wetfall in the Rocky Mountain region, USA, 1993–2012
Wintertime precipitation sample data from 55 Snowpack sites and 17 National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP)/National Trends Network Wetfall sites in the Rocky Mountain region were examined to identify long-term trends in chemical concentration, deposition, and precipitation using Regional and Seasonal Kendall tests. The Natural Resources Conservation Service snow-telemetry (SNOTEL) network pAuthorsGeorge P. Ingersoll, Debra C. Miller, Kristi H. Morris, Jill A. McMurray, Garrett M. Port, Brian CarusoIsotopes in North American Rocky Mountain snowpack 1993–2014
We present ∼1300 new isotopic measurements (δ18O and δ2H) from a network of snowpack sites in the Rocky Mountains that have been sampled since 1993. The network includes 177 locations where depth-integrated snow samples are collected each spring near peak accumulation. At 57 of these locations snowpack samples were obtained for 10–21 years and their isotopic measurements provide unprecedented spatAuthorsLesleigh Anderson, Max Berkelhammer, Alisa MastSpatial patterns of atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and sulfur using ion-exchange resin collectors in Rocky Mountain National Park, USA
Lakes and streams in Class 1 wilderness areas in the western United States (U.S.) are at risk from atmospheric deposition of nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S), and protection of these resources is mandated under the Federal Clean Air Act and amendments. Assessment of critical loads, which are the maximum exposure to pollution an area can receive without adverse effects on sensitive ecosystems, requiresAuthorsDavid W. Clow, Heidi Roop, Leora Nanus, Mark Fenn, Graham A. SexstoneMapping critical loads of nitrogen deposition for aquatic ecosystems in the Rocky Mountains, USA
Spatially explicit estimates of critical loads of nitrogen (N) deposition (CLNdep) for nutrient enrichment in aquatic ecosystems were developed for the Rocky Mountains, USA, using a geostatistical approach. The lowest CLNdep estimates (3 kg N ha−1 yr−1), resulting in CLNdep exceedances ≥1.5 ± 1 kg N ha−1 yr−1. CLNdep and CLNdep exceedances exhibit substantial spatial variability related to basin cAuthorsLeora Nanus, David W. Clow, Jasmine E. Saros, Verlin C. Stephens, Donald H. CampbellRocky Mountain snowpack physical and chemical data for selected sites, 2010
The Rocky Mountain Snowpack program established a network of snowpack-sampling sites in the Rocky Mountain region, from New Mexico to Montana, to monitor the chemical content of snow and to understand the effects of regional atmospheric deposition on freshwater systems. Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the National Park Service; the U.S. Department of Agriculture ForAuthorsGeorge P. Ingersoll, Alisa Mast, James M. Swank, Chelsea D. CampbellRocky Mountain snowpack physical and chemical data for selected sites, 2009
The Rocky Mountain Snowpack program established a network of snowpack-sampling sites in the Rocky Mountain region from New Mexico to Montana to monitor the chemical content of snow and to understand the effects of regional atmospheric deposition. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the National Park Service; the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service; the Colorado Department ofAuthorsGeorge P. Ingersoll, Alisa Mast, James M. Swank, Chelsea D. CampbellRocky Mountain Snowpack Physical and Chemical Data for Selected Sites, 1993-2008
The Rocky Mountain Snowpack program established a network of snowpack-sampling sites in the Rocky Mountain region from New Mexico to Montana to monitor the chemical content of snow to help in the understanding of the effects of atmospheric deposition to this region. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the National Park Service, the USDA Forest Service, Teton County in Wyoming, Rio BlanAuthorsGeorge P. Ingersoll, Alisa Mast, Donald H. Campbell, David W. Clow, Leora Nanus, John T. TurkTrends in snowpack chemistry and comparison to National Atmospheric Deposition Program results for the Rocky Mountains, US, 1993-2004
Seasonal snowpack chemistry data from the Rocky Mountain region of the US was examined to identify long-term trends in concentration and chemical deposition in snow and in snow-water equivalent. For the period 1993-2004, comparisons of trends were made between 54 Rocky Mountain Snowpack sites and 16 National Atmospheric Deposition Program wetfall sites located nearby in the region. The region wasAuthorsG.P. Ingersoll, M.A. Mast, K. Campbell, D. W. Clow, L. Nanus, J.T. Turk - Partners
Below are partners associated with this project.