PosterPDF Available

Influence of snowmelt on streamflow in Andorra

Authors:
  • Universitat Carlemany, Andorra
  • Computational Ecology Group

Abstract

The study of mountain rivers demonstrates that the seasonal variability of streamflow is only partially related to rainfall. For such rivers, knowledge of the snowpack development and depletion is required to explain the seasonality of low and high flows (López-Moreno & García-Ruiz, 2004). The accumulation and fusion of snow play a determining role in the seasonal distribution of river beds, especially in mountain basins. The flow is very low in the header areas and is still lower in winter than in summer (García-Ruiz & Lana-Renault, 2011). During spring, the coincidence of the snow melting period with the rainy season increases the flow rates rapidly. The depletion of the snow cover, together with the end of the rainy season, leads to a period of low flow during the summer (López-Moreno & García-Ruiz, 2004). The aim of this study is to characterize the influence of snowmelting dynamics on streamflow in a mountain river regime in Andorra
Introduction
The study of mountain rivers demonstrates that the seasonal variability of streamflow is only partially related to rainfall. For such rivers, knowledge of the snowpack
development and depletion is required to explain the seasonality of low and high flows (López-Moreno &García-Ruiz, 2004).
The accumulation and fusion of snow play adetermining role in the seasonal distribution of river beds, especially in mountain basins.The flow is very low in the header areas
and is still lower in winter than in summer (García-Ruiz & Lana-Renault, 2011). During spring, the coincidence of the snow melting period with the rainy season increases the
flow rates rapidly.The depletion of the snow cover, together with the end of the rainy season, leads to aperiod of low flow during the summer (López-Moreno &García-Ruiz,
2004). The aim of this study is to characterize the influence of snowmelting dynamics on streamflow in amountain river regime in Andorra
References
Cayan, D. R., Kammerdiener, S. A., Dettinger, M. D., Caprio, J. M., & Peterson, D. H. (2001). Changes in the Onset of Spring in the Western United States.Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society,0477(March 2001), 399415.
García-Ruiz, J. M., & Lana-Renault, N. (2011). Hydrological and erosive consequences of farmland abandonment in Europe, with special reference to the Mediterranean region A review . Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment .Elsevier B.V.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2011.01.003
López-Moreno, J. I., & García-Ruiz, J. M. (2004). Influence of snow accumulation and snowmelt on streamflow in the central Spanish Pyrenees /Influence de l’accumulation et de la fonte de la neige sur les écoulements dans les Pyrénées centrales
espagnoles.Hydrological Sciences Journal,49(5). https://doi.org/10.1623/hysj.49.5.787.55135
Morán-Tejeda, E., Lorenzo-Lacruz, J., López-Moreno, J. I., Beniston, M., & Rahman, K. (2014). Streamflow timing of mountain rivers in Spain:Recent changes and future projections.Journal of Hydrology,517,11141127.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2014.06.053
Acknowledgments
Cristina Pesado Pons acknowledges a predoctoral grant from the Government of Andorra, ATC017 -AND-2018/2019
The project EFA210/16 PIRAGUA, co-founded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Interreg VSpain-France-Andorre
Programme (POCTEFA 2014-2020)of the European Union
Observatori de la Sostenibilitat d'Andorra gratefully acknowledges the Government of the Principality of Andorra for the 2017 complementary
grant to the European POCTEFA 2014-2020 Program, Ref.AUEP007-AND/2017
Influence(of(snowmelt(on(streamflow(in(Andorra(
Cristina Pesado-Pons 1,2*, Marc Pons 1,3, Jon Apodaka2,3, Anna Albalat3, J.I López-Moreno 4
1Observatori de la Sostenibilitat d’Andorra (OBSA)
2Universitat d’Andorra (UdA)
3Centre d’Estudis de la Neu ila Muntanya d’Andorra de l’ Institut d’Estudis Andorrans (CENMA-IEA)
4Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IPE-CSIC)
*Correspondence: cpesado@obsa.ad
CONCLUSIONS
The results show astatistically significant correlations
between snowmelting and flow rate indices
No correlation statistically significant between streamflow
and snow cover
Correlation between snow depth and streamflow for 2009-10
and 2012-13 during the period of strong snowmelt (R2= 0,5
and 0,83)
Some years flow can not be only explained by snowmelting
dynamics.Precipitation must also be considered (R2= 0.94,
0.98 and 0.86)
Data limitations :lack of long series, poorly distributed and
sometimes incomplete
The study of these relations will allow us to better understand
how climate change can affect snow depth and flow
dynamics
DATA
Streamflow
Gauguin
stations
Snow
cover
Modis
Snow
depth
Nivometeoro
logical
stations
ANDORRA: MAIN CHARACTERISTICS
Area: 470 km2
Average altitude: 2.044 m
Much of the territory frequently snow-
covered during winter months
Altitudes ranging from 850 -2.900 m
Mediterranean climate with
subcontinental tendency and strong
influence of Atlantic weather at the
highest sectors
STUDY AREA DATA
Borda Sabaté, SAIH
Sorteny, CENMA
Modis
RESULTS
Period 2009-2018
METHODS
Anumber of indices
were calculated from
the daily streamflow
series (Cayan et al.,
2001;Morán-Tejeda, E.
et al., 2017)
Placement of the
hydrological indices in
the hydrograph of
Gran Valira river (Borda
Sabaté)
Calculation of nival
indices
+
+
+
_INDICES_
Placement of hydrological indices in the hydrograph
for the hydrological year 2009-2010
Nival indices
Spearman’s correlation
between hydrological
and nival indices
Regression model
between snow depth and
streamflow, snow cover
and streamflow and with
precipitation
+
+
_TESTS
Spearman’s correlation values
R2 = 0,5
p-value = 6,94e-8
R2 = 0,94
p-value = 8,35e-12
R2 = 0,83
p-value = 3,92e-8
R2 = 0,04
p-value = 0,04
R2 = 0,98
p-value = 9,41e-7
R2 = 0,86
p-value < 2,2e-16
2009-2010 2012-2013 2017-2018
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Snow depth-Streamflow -Precipitation
Snow depth-Streamflow
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