Intercomparison of approaches for modelling infiltration in frozen soil

Abstract:

Calculating the partitioning of snow melt between runoff and infiltration is crucial for land and water management in cold regions. In the Canadian prairies, snowmelt during spring is the dominant input of water to the soil, streams and groundwater. The objective of this study was to compare different modelling approaches for quantifying infiltration in frozen soils. We compare empirical modelling approaches with physically-based approaches, and compare both models with observations from the St Denis National Wildlife Research area, in Saskatchewan.