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Theory and numerical modeling of electrical self-potential signatures of unsaturated flow in melting snow

B Kulessa, D Chandler, A Revil, R Essery, Bernd Kulessa Orcid Logo

Water Resources Research, Volume: 48, Issue: 9, Start page: n/a

Swansea University Author: Bernd Kulessa Orcid Logo

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DOI (Published version): 10.1029/2012WR012048

Abstract

We have developed a new theory and numerical model of electrical self-potential (SP) signals associated with unsaturated flow in melting snow. The model is applicable to continuous natural-melt and transient-flow phenomena such as melt-water pulses, and is tested using laboratory column experiments....

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Published in: Water Resources Research
ISSN: 0043-1397
Published: 2012
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa13751
first_indexed 2013-07-23T12:10:51Z
last_indexed 2018-02-09T04:44:39Z
id cronfa13751
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spelling 2015-09-30T10:11:49.2571539 v2 13751 2012-12-18 Theory and numerical modeling of electrical self-potential signatures of unsaturated flow in melting snow 52acda616e9f6073cbebf497def874c9 0000-0002-4830-4949 Bernd Kulessa Bernd Kulessa true false 2012-12-18 BGPS We have developed a new theory and numerical model of electrical self-potential (SP) signals associated with unsaturated flow in melting snow. The model is applicable to continuous natural-melt and transient-flow phenomena such as melt-water pulses, and is tested using laboratory column experiments. SP signals fundamentally depend on the temporal evolution of snow porosity and melt-water flux, electrical conductivity (EC) and pH. We infer a reversal of the sign of the zeta potential (a fundamental electrical property of grain surfaces in porous media), consistent with well-known elution sequences of ions that cause progressive increases and decreases in melt-water pH and EC respectively. Injection of fully-melted snow samples, containing the entire natural range of ions, into melting snow columns caused additional temporary reversals of the sign of the zeta potential. Widely-used empirical relationships between effective saturation, melt-water fraction, EC and pH, as well as snow porosity, grain size and permeability are found to be robust for modelling purposes. Thus, non-intrusive SP measurements can serve as proxies for snow melt-water fluxes and the temporal evolution of fundamental snow textural, hydraulic or water-quality parameters. Adaptation of automated multi-sensor SP acquisition technology from other environmental applications thus promises to bridge the widely acknowledged gap in spatial scale between satellite remote sensing and point measurements of snow properties. SP measurements and modelling may therefore contribute to solving a wide range of problems related to the assessment of water resource availability, avalanche or flood risk, or amplification of climatic forcing of ice-shelf, ice-sheet or glacier dynamics. Journal Article Water Resources Research 48 9 n/a 0043-1397 31 12 2012 2012-12-31 10.1029/2012WR012048 COLLEGE NANME Biosciences Geography and Physics School COLLEGE CODE BGPS Swansea University 2015-09-30T10:11:49.2571539 2012-12-18T08:21:02.4846849 Faculty of Science and Engineering School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Geography B Kulessa 1 D Chandler 2 A Revil 3 R Essery 4 Bernd Kulessa 0000-0002-4830-4949 5
title Theory and numerical modeling of electrical self-potential signatures of unsaturated flow in melting snow
spellingShingle Theory and numerical modeling of electrical self-potential signatures of unsaturated flow in melting snow
Bernd Kulessa
title_short Theory and numerical modeling of electrical self-potential signatures of unsaturated flow in melting snow
title_full Theory and numerical modeling of electrical self-potential signatures of unsaturated flow in melting snow
title_fullStr Theory and numerical modeling of electrical self-potential signatures of unsaturated flow in melting snow
title_full_unstemmed Theory and numerical modeling of electrical self-potential signatures of unsaturated flow in melting snow
title_sort Theory and numerical modeling of electrical self-potential signatures of unsaturated flow in melting snow
author_id_str_mv 52acda616e9f6073cbebf497def874c9
author_id_fullname_str_mv 52acda616e9f6073cbebf497def874c9_***_Bernd Kulessa
author Bernd Kulessa
author2 B Kulessa
D Chandler
A Revil
R Essery
Bernd Kulessa
format Journal article
container_title Water Resources Research
container_volume 48
container_issue 9
container_start_page n/a
publishDate 2012
institution Swansea University
issn 0043-1397
doi_str_mv 10.1029/2012WR012048
college_str Faculty of Science and Engineering
hierarchytype
hierarchy_top_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
department_str School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Geography{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Science and Engineering{{{_:::_}}}School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Geography
document_store_str 0
active_str 0
description We have developed a new theory and numerical model of electrical self-potential (SP) signals associated with unsaturated flow in melting snow. The model is applicable to continuous natural-melt and transient-flow phenomena such as melt-water pulses, and is tested using laboratory column experiments. SP signals fundamentally depend on the temporal evolution of snow porosity and melt-water flux, electrical conductivity (EC) and pH. We infer a reversal of the sign of the zeta potential (a fundamental electrical property of grain surfaces in porous media), consistent with well-known elution sequences of ions that cause progressive increases and decreases in melt-water pH and EC respectively. Injection of fully-melted snow samples, containing the entire natural range of ions, into melting snow columns caused additional temporary reversals of the sign of the zeta potential. Widely-used empirical relationships between effective saturation, melt-water fraction, EC and pH, as well as snow porosity, grain size and permeability are found to be robust for modelling purposes. Thus, non-intrusive SP measurements can serve as proxies for snow melt-water fluxes and the temporal evolution of fundamental snow textural, hydraulic or water-quality parameters. Adaptation of automated multi-sensor SP acquisition technology from other environmental applications thus promises to bridge the widely acknowledged gap in spatial scale between satellite remote sensing and point measurements of snow properties. SP measurements and modelling may therefore contribute to solving a wide range of problems related to the assessment of water resource availability, avalanche or flood risk, or amplification of climatic forcing of ice-shelf, ice-sheet or glacier dynamics.
published_date 2012-12-31T12:28:34Z
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score 11.048194

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