Scaling properties of wind and snow depth distribution in an Alpine catchment

The spatial variability of the snow cover is driven by wind-induced snow transport processes. The main aim of this study is to investigate the link between the scaling behavior of snow depths and the wind-induced processes driving the spatial structure of snow depths. We used very high-resolution atmospheric and snow transport simulations to compare their spatial characteristics with snow depths obtained from airborne and terrestrial laser scans. The directions of the strongest autocorrelations of snow depths and wind velocities were predominantly perpendicular to the modeled local flow direction, independent of whether more homogeneous lee slope loading in one area was considered or the formation of drifts in another area. In the case of homogeneous lee slope loading, the same direction of anisotropy was only found in the modeled preferential deposition of precipitation as for both wind and snow distribution. This deposition process appears to dominate homogeneous lee slope loading. In contrast, saltation-driven processes seem to dominate the formation of drifts and snow dunes. Furthermore, the fractal analysis suggests similar scale breaks for the modeled wind velocity field and measured snow depths defining the upper scale of landscape smoothing through snow.