A Snow-Push Mechanism for Ridge Formation in the Cairngorm Mountains,Scotland

Observations are presented of a newly deposited snow-push ridge superimposed on a Holocene moraine in Coire an Lochain in the Cairngorm Mountains. The ridge formed when a sliding snow slab was thrust up the proximal slope of the moraine, entraining till gravel and redepositing it on the moraine crest. The process was a late-stage event during the complex wastage of a large snowfield resting on a rock slab, involving basal sliding, avalanching and melting. Snow-push landforms appear to be rare in Scotland. Nevertheless, these observations suggest that fresh material may be added to relict moraine crests in the present-day climate, with implications for exposure-age dating of moraines. However, in this case the addition of debris by snow push to a late Holocene moraine crest does not affect the interpretation of moraine age.     

The Historical Snow Survey of Great Britain: Digitised Data for Scotland

Abstract

Mountain snowline is important as it is an easily observable measure of the phase state of water in the landscape. Changes in seasonal snowline elevation can indicate long-term trends in temperature or other climate variables. Snow-cover influences local flora and fauna, and knowledge of snowline can inform management of water and associated risks. Between 1945 and 2007 voluntary observers collected a subjective record of snow cover across Great Britain called the Snow Survey of Great Britain (SSGB). The original paper copy SSGB data is held by the Met Office. This article details the digitisation of the Scottish SSGB data, its spatial and temporal extents, and a brief example comparison of Met Office snow-lying gridded data. The digitised SSGB data are available from the Met Office authors.     

Skiing Less Often in a Warmer World: Attitudes of Tourists to Climate Change in an Australian Ski Resort

Climate change will affect tourism destinations that are dependent on natural resources, such as snow. Currently there is limited research into attitudes, intentions and actual visitation patterns of skiers in response to reduced snow cover. Therefore the awareness of, and attitudes towards, climate change of 351 ski tourists were assessed in the largest ski resort in Australia in 2007, repeating a survey conducted in 1996. Ninety percent of skiers in 2007 would ski less often in Australian resorts if the next five years had low natural snow, up from 75% of skiers surveyed in 1996: 69% would ski less often, 5% would give up and 16% would ski at the same levels but overseas. Nearly all skiers thought that climate change would affect the ski industry (87% compared with 78% in 1996), and that this would occur sooner than in the 1996 survey. Visitation in a poor snow year (2006, +0.85°C average annual temperature, 54% less natural snow) was −13.6% of the long-term average, indicating poor natural snow resulted in decreased visitation, despite extensive use of snow making. The implications of changes in climate conditions and tourist attitudes for Australian ski resorts are assessed including for snow making and summer tourism.     

A preliminary assessment of the socio‐economic and environmental impacts of recent changes in winter snow cover in Scotland

Changes in the spatial extent and duration of winter snow‐cover, both in Scotland and in a wider global context, have a number of socio‐economic and environmental implications. Evidence from Scottish climatological stations appears to suggest that the most marked decease in the number of days with snow lying has occurred since the late 1970s. Information on the effects of these changes was gathered using a questionnaire which was sent to key stakeholders. Responses suggest deleterious effects on winter recreation and sports, upland habitats and flood regimes in Scottish rivers. An extended snow‐free season has affected access to, and management of, Scottish land.     

Les victimes d’avalanche au Québec entre 1825 et 2009

Fatal avalanche accidents in Québec (Canada) 1825 to 2009 Archival research, coroner's investigations, and newspaper searches reveal the occurrence of 43 deadly snow avalanches in Québec since 1825. Historical records indicate 73 fatalities and more than 50 injuries. Sixty percent of the victims were younger than 20 years old. More than 50 percent of the victims (38 fatalities in 12 incidents) were inside or near a residential building, usually their home, mainly in the cities of Québec and Lévis. The second‐most deadly category is recreational activities, with over 24 deaths in 20 accidents. Most of these deadly incidents occurred on very short slopes (<70 metres of relief) outside mountainous areas. Only five fatalities were related to backcountry recreational activities in highlands. The inventory of avalanche‐threatened areas has never been completed in the Province of Québec and it is likely that avalanche‐prone areas are more widespread than previously thought.     

Spatial‐temporal patterns of snow cover in western Canada

Snow cover is often measured as snow‐water equivalent (SWE), which refers to the amount of water stored in a snow pack that would be available upon melting. Snow cover and SWE represent a source of local snow‐melt release, and are sensitive to regional and global atmospheric circulation, and changes in climate. Monitoring SWE using satellite‐based passive microwave radiometry has provided nearly three decades of continuous data for North America. The availability of spatially and temporally extensive SWE data enables a better understanding of the nature of space‐time trends in snow cover, changes in these trends and linking these trends to underlying landscape and terrain characteristics. To address these interests, we quantify the spatial pattern of SWE by applying a local measure of spatial autocorrelation to 25 years of mean February SWE derived from passive microwave retrievals. Using a method for characterizing the temporal trends in the spatial pattern of SWE, temporal trends and variability in spatial autocorrelation are quantified. Results indicate that within the Canadian Prairies, extreme values of SWE are becoming more spatially coherent, with potential impacts on water availability, and hazards such as flooding. These results also highlight the need for Canadian ecological management units that consider winter conditions.     

哈尔滨市创建世界冰雪旅游名城对策研究

建设世界冰雪旅游名城已成为新世纪初哈尔滨市实现跨越式发展的一项重要战略举措,如何发展冰雪旅游,做好冰雪旅游产业文章,真正将哈尔滨建设成为国际知名的冰雪旅游城市,是哈尔滨面临的重大课题。本文提出按国际水准进行规划、构建“政府主导社会参与市场运作”发展格局、走“提质增效”的经营道路、推进产品创新、制定有效的市场营销策略、营造世界冰雪旅游名城环境氛围、提升旅游服务、重视人才培养实施人才兴旅战略等相应对策。     

The British Brig Water Nymph or ... even an Englishman cannot take the liberty to deride a civil servant on German soil

The wreck of a 19th-century merchantman was surveyed and partly excavated in the course of archaeological fieldwork conducted prior to planned beach restoration in Ahrenshoop on the Baltic coast in north-eastern Germany. Extensive archival research led to the identification of the wreck and provided interesting details on the life and loss of a typical merchant sailing-ship of the mid-19th century.
© 2007 The Authors     

The Potential of Tree Rings in Eucalyptus pauciflora for Climatological and Hydrological Reconstruction

We investigate the causes of variability in a tree‐ring chronology comprising data from Eucalyptus pauciflora Sieb. Ex. Spreng. at the alpine treeline on the Kosciuszko Plateau in New South Wales, Australia. Following verification of crossdating in a subset of the available data, we found that ring width correlates significantly with net radiation, precipitation and mean minimum and maximum air temperature during the preceding winter and spring of the growing season. Our results for spring are consistent with the impact of climate on tree growth in alpine woodlands reported in previous studies. Analyses of snow‐depth data revealed negative correlations with ring width throughout winter and spring. Our results indicate that low temperature and high precipitation during winter negatively affect the growth of E. pauciflora by prolonging spring snow cover. Ring width also correlates significantly with an index of soil dryness and flow in rivers with their headwaters in the Kosciuszko plateau. Given the apparent sensitivity of our chronology to climate and snow conditions, our results suggest that tree‐ring chronologies comprising data from E. pauciflora at the alpine treeline have potential for climatological and hydrological reconstruction in southeast Australia.     

黑龙江省冰雪旅游开发战略AHP决策分析

运用AHP层次分析法,对黑龙江省的冰雪旅游开发战略进行了定性与定量相结合的分析,并得出结论:黑龙江省应该首先实行冰雪旅游产业化战略目标,同时不可忽视冰雪旅游国际化战略目标;而争创品牌战略是第一重要的发展战略;当前亟待解决的首要问题是思想观念不够开放、经济欠发达和管理体制较落后,应该采取的措施是加大体制改革力度、根本改变"多头管理、政令不一"的现状,借鉴国内外冰雪旅游开发成功经验,大力发展滑雪旅游等。通过这些具体措施,可以确保实现"提高黑龙江省冰雪旅游的综合竞争力,把黑龙江省建设成为中国最大、世界知名的冰雪旅游胜地"的总体目标。