Harvard Forest

Data Archive

HF237

Snowpack in Hemlock, Hardwood, and Open Sites at Harvard Forest 2008-2014

Related Publications

Data

• hf237-01: snow depth (preview)
• hf237-02: snow density (preview)

Overview

• Lead: Robert Hellstrom
• Investigators:
• Contact: Information Manager
• Start date: 2008
• End date: 2014
• Status: complete
• Location: Prospect Hill Tract (Harvard Forest)
• Latitude: +42.532 to +42.539 degrees
• Longitude: -72.189 to -72.178 degrees
• Elevation: 330 to 380 meter
• Datum: WGS84
• Taxa:
• Release date: 2023
• Language: English
• EML file: knb-lter-hfr.237.4
• DOI: digital object identifier
• EDI: data package
• DataONE: data package
• Related links:
• Harvard Forest Snow Pillow since 2009
• Study type: long-term measurement
• Research topic: forest-atmosphere exchange; watershed ecology
• LTER core area: disturbance patterns
• Keywords: climate, hydrology, precipitation, snow, snow water equivalence, water balance
• Abstract:

  Sub-forest canopy meteorological forcing and snowpack properties can profoundly influence the winter ecology. 3/4 inch graduated PVC snow stakes and web cams were installed at three Harvard Forest (HF) sites including: mixed-hardwood at the Little Prospect Hill (LPH) Eddy Flux Tower, near the Hemlock walk-up tower, and at the open area behind Shaler Hall. Web cameras connected to a laptop at the three sites provided daily images of snowpack surface depth. Snow density profiles were recorded during weekly to monthly site visits from December 2008 to April 2014. Gaps in the datasets were primarily caused by laptop malfunctions and lack of site visits necessary to maintain equipment and to obtain density measurements of the snowpack. There were no site visits to record snowpack properties during the 2011-2012 snow season, a year of unusually low snowfall. These datasets would prove useful for research related to snow ecology and hydrology projects at Harvard Forest.

• Methods:

  Weekly to biweekly fieldwork during the snow seasons included measurement of snow density profiles at 7 cm intervals and downloading daily web cam images. Snow density was from a 7 cm diameter 180 cm^3 coring tube pushed vertically into the snow pit wall from top to bottom. Two dos-csv databases contain snow depth and density profile data.

• Organization: Harvard Forest. 324 North Main Street, Petersham, MA 01366, USA. Phone (978) 724-3302. Fax (978) 724-3595.

• Project: The Harvard Forest Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) program examines ecological dynamics in the New England region resulting from natural disturbances, environmental change, and human impacts. (ROR).

• Funding: National Science Foundation LTER grants: DEB-8811764, DEB-9411975, DEB-0080592, DEB-0620443, DEB-1237491, DEB-1832210.

• Use: This dataset is released to the public under Creative Commons CC0 1.0 (No Rights Reserved). Please keep the dataset creators informed of any plans to use the dataset. Consultation with the original investigators is strongly encouraged. Publications and data products that make use of the dataset should include proper acknowledgement.

• License: Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal (CC0-1.0)

• Citation: Hellstrom R. 2023. Snowpack in Hemlock, Hardwood, and Open Sites at Harvard Forest 2008-2014. Harvard Forest Data Archive: HF237 (v.4). Environmental Data Initiative: https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/be69b1f46b57354a25d85a437c0679c8.

Detailed Metadata

hf237-01: snow depth

1. year: year
2. doy: day of year (unit: nominalDay / missing value: NA)
3. date: date
4. shaler.depth: snow depth estimated from snow stake (unit: centimeter / missing value: NA)
5. shaler.density: linear interpolation to fill daily values (unit: kilogramPerCubicMeter / missing value: NA)
6. shaler.swe: snow water equivalent (unit: centimeter / missing value: NA)
7. lph.depth: snow depth estimated from snow stake (unit: centimeter / missing value: NA)
8. lph.density: linear interpolation to fill daily values (unit: kilogramPerCubicMeter / missing value: NA)
9. lph.swe: snow water equivalent (unit: centimeter / missing value: NA)
10. hemlock.depth: snow depth estimated from snow stake (unit: centimeter / missing value: NA)
11. hemlock.density: linear interpolation to fill daily values (unit: kilogramPerCubicMeter / missing value: NA)
12. hemlock.swe: snow water equivalent (unit: centimeter / missing value: NA)

hf237-02: snow density

1. date: date
2. shaler.07: density of vertical snow profile (unit: kilogramPerCubicMeter / missing value: NA)
3. shaler.14: density of vertical snow profile (unit: kilogramPerCubicMeter / missing value: NA)
4. shaler.21: density of vertical snow profile (unit: kilogramPerCubicMeter / missing value: NA)
5. shaler.28: density of vertical snow profile (unit: kilogramPerCubicMeter / missing value: NA)
6. shaler.35: density of vertical snow profile (unit: kilogramPerCubicMeter / missing value: NA)
7. shaler.42: density of vertical snow profile (unit: kilogramPerCubicMeter / missing value: NA)
8. shaler.49: density of vertical snow profile (unit: kilogramPerCubicMeter / missing value: NA)
9. shaler.56: density of vertical snow profile (unit: kilogramPerCubicMeter / missing value: NA)
10. shaler.63: density of vertical snow profile (unit: kilogramPerCubicMeter / missing value: NA)
11. shaler.70: density of vertical snow profile (unit: kilogramPerCubicMeter / missing value: NA)
12. lph.07: density of vertical snow profile (unit: kilogramPerCubicMeter / missing value: NA)
13. lph.14: density of vertical snow profile (unit: kilogramPerCubicMeter / missing value: NA)
14. lph.21: density of vertical snow profile (unit: kilogramPerCubicMeter / missing value: NA)
15. lph.28: density of vertical snow profile (unit: kilogramPerCubicMeter / missing value: NA)
16. lph.35: density of vertical snow profile (unit: kilogramPerCubicMeter / missing value: NA)
17. lph.42: density of vertical snow profile (unit: kilogramPerCubicMeter / missing value: NA)
18. lph.49: density of vertical snow profile (unit: kilogramPerCubicMeter / missing value: NA)
19. lph.56: density of vertical snow profile (unit: kilogramPerCubicMeter / missing value: NA)
20. lph.63: density of vertical snow profile (unit: kilogramPerCubicMeter / missing value: NA)
21. lph.70: density of vertical snow profile (unit: kilogramPerCubicMeter / missing value: NA)
22. hemlock.07: density of vertical snow profile (unit: kilogramPerCubicMeter / missing value: NA)
23. hemlock.14: density of vertical snow profile (unit: kilogramPerCubicMeter / missing value: NA)
24. hemlock.21: density of vertical snow profile (unit: kilogramPerCubicMeter / missing value: NA)
25. hemlock.28: density of vertical snow profile (unit: kilogramPerCubicMeter / missing value: NA)
26. hemlock.35: density of vertical snow profile (unit: kilogramPerCubicMeter / missing value: NA)
27. hemlock.42: density of vertical snow profile (unit: kilogramPerCubicMeter / missing value: NA)
28. hemlock.49: density of vertical snow profile (unit: kilogramPerCubicMeter / missing value: NA)
29. hemlock.56: density of vertical snow profile (unit: kilogramPerCubicMeter / missing value: NA)
30. hemlock.63: density of vertical snow profile (unit: kilogramPerCubicMeter / missing value: NA)
31. hemlock.70: density of vertical snow profile (unit: kilogramPerCubicMeter / missing value: NA)