Change in fresh snow density in Tianshan Mountains, China

The fresh snow density was observed with snow analyzer (Snow Fork) at Tianshan Station for Snowcover and Avalanche Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences from February 21 to March 5, 2009. Results show that fresh snow density increases from the 5th h to the 291st h after the snowfall, with an average rate of increase of 4.0×10−4 g/(cm3·h) (R2 = 0.943). Analysis shows that fresh snow density is negatively correlated with the compaction rate of fresh snow (R2 = −0.960). Inversely, it is positively correlated with fresh snow viscosity (R2 = 0.896). In relation to meteorological factors, ground temperature rising at a depth of 40 cm is the major driving factor of snow density increase. The temperature increase in fresh snow layer and the decrease in depth hoar layer have the most prominent impacts on the snow density increase in the afternoon. Principal component analysis shows that the determinant factors of fresh snow density change can be grouped into 3 types as follows: 1) dynamic factor contributes about 69.71% to fresh snow density change, with a significant effect from the 5th h to the 106th h after the snowfall; 2) exogenous energy factor contributes about 20.91% to it, with a significant effect at the 130th h; and c) endogenous energy factor contributes about 9.38% to it, with a significant effect at the 130th h and the 195th h.