Science Friday! Today we will be exploring how snowmelt gets into our creeks, streams, and rivers.
The life that snow lives is typically determined by weather systems, vegetation and terrain. However, weather systems (specifically temperatures) are the most important factor that determines when snow will melt. Once it gets above freezing (32 Degrees Fahrenheit /0 Degrees Celsius), it’s time for that snow to turn to water! (1).
Then solar radiation happens, transported by long wave radiation, along with wind transfer of heat, ground heat (conduction), and heat transferred during rainfall all impact the cooling and heating of snowpack (1). From this point, the rapid melting will need a place to go. It could slowly infiltrate into the frozen soil, runoff into streams and other bodies of water, or even freeze or pool (if in a small quantity), or maybe even a combination of everything(1).
Rapid melting can most definitely create a great deal of runoff, of which, in the winter, cannot typically infiltrate into the frozen soil as easily as in the spring. When the rapid melting makes its way into a river, two primary processes can occur: One, replenishing our aquifer and streams and rivers. Good! Two, it can cause sedimentation, meaning that a bunch of rocks, dirt, debris is getting carried downstream (which is bad in excess). Or sometimes both.
Runoff is ultimately good, but in moderation. We live in a world with a changing climate, where we are seeing more fluctuations in temperatures in the winter months, causing changes in our snowpack, and changes in our rivers. That is why it is important to monitor these changes in our creeks, streams, and rivers. WEN is interested to see how change in snowpack will impact the Rattlesnake over the next few years, and will be keeping a keen eye on the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the stream in our Stream Team Monitoring.
A friendly note: When WEN posts a Science Friday topic, we are not claiming to be the experts on the subject or topic, this is simply a space for exploration of ideas, concepts and different systems. However, we are active participant in gauging stream health, specifically within the Rattlesnake Creek, and hold some expertise in watershed health, education, and science. We are always open to criticism/feedback, and/or if you are an expert and want to offer up some of your expertise on a topic we cover we would love to hear your thoughts! Just email us at communications@montanawatershed.org.
What we do as scientists is gather the evidence we need to see patters to try to make sense of the complex and fascinating systems that we live in. That's the great thing about science right?!
