Cryospheric and Polar Processes Division
Snow cover and snow hydrology research
Seasonal snow covers up to 33 percent of the earth's total land surface and plays several important roles in the earth system. Snow's whiteness, for example, reflects incoming solar radiation, affecting the temperature of the planet. CIRES researchers are interested in knowing how dust and other pollutants alter the reflective properties of snow. Snow also stores a great deal of fresh water in certain parts of the world, such as in the Rocky Mountain states and California, where snowmelt is a large source of drinking and irrigation water. Our researchers look at how increasing global temperatures may impact Western U.S. water supplies.
