SNOW
HYDROLOGY (GEOG 4321/5321): HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT 8
Instuctor: Mark Williams
Telephone: 492-8830
Homework 8
Assigned March 16.
This assignment will be due Monday, March 21, to be turned into by 5 pm.
Late assignments will be penalized 5% per day. No work will be
accepted after 2pm on Wednesday
40 possible points.
Please box all your quantitative answers.
Please show all your work! Answers without work will only receive
partial credit.
- The primary factors that determine the spatial distribution of
snow are: (a) snowfall amount and intensity; (b) redistribution; and
(c) ablation. Explain the interactions between these factors and
topographic parameters such as elevation, slope, aspect, lee- and
windward-locations, radiation, landscape type and position, etc.
Maximum 2 pages. (10 points). Use illustrations as needed.
- Write the equation for calculating the semi-variance. Define
each of the parameters in the equation. (5 points).
- Draw a variogram. Label the following components on the
variogram. Also write a defintion that is 2-3 sentences long for each
of these components. (5 points).
- lag distance
- semivariance
- range
- sill
- Calculate the CV as a fraction, Standard Error, CV as a percent
of the mean, and Standard Error as a percent of the mean, for SWE and
sulfate concentration collected as part of my PhD research at Emerald
Lake in the Sierra, given (10 points):
- SO4
- mean = 2.9 ueq/L
- N = 6
- SD = 0.4 ueq/L
- SWE
- mean = 59.8 cm
- N = 256
- SD = 37.2 cm
- Explain why SO4 concentrations have a similar standard error
(when expressed as a percentage)
as SWE even though there were less samples collected for SO4 compared
to SWE.
- How many samples do you need to be within 10% of the mean at
0.05 significance, for density and SWE, given (10 points):
- density
- mean = 500 kg/m3
- SD = 30 kg/m3
- SWE