Short-Term Forecasting of Water Run-Off From Snow and Ice

Accurate forecasting of water run-off from snow covers and glaciers is increasingly important because of the increasing competition for scarce water resources. The trend toward conceptual computerized models of hydrologic system, require extensive knowledge of the physical aspects of those systems. Unlike river and stream network>, the hydrological characteristics of snow coven and glaciers are highly variable with time and cannot be easily defined. After reviewing the physical aspects of water flow through snow covers and glaciers, it is concluded that snow covers and glaciers are predictable hydrological systems once the melt metamorphism of the snow is complete and the englacial conduits have been established. However, much additional information about snow and ice masses must be generated before general forecasting techniques can be established for all situations.