Red Dust Melting Colorado Snow

Slide 1: 

Utah BLM’s Role in Colorado’s Early Snowmelt

Wind Flow, Morning of April 15, 2009 : 

Wind Flow, Morning of April 15, 2009 Map from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Slide 4: 

May 18, 2009 Photo from MODIS on NASA’s Terra Satellite

Slide 5: 

Photo from Center for Snow and Avalanche Studies

Slide 6: 

Photo Courtesy of USGS Snowpit near Silverton, Colorado Showing Two Dust Storm Events from March 2009

Disturbed Desert Dust Deposited on Mountain Snow Shortened Seasonal Snow Cover 18 to 35 Days in 2005 and 2006.Impact of Disturbed Desert Soils on Duration of Mountain Snow CoverThomas H. Painter, Andrew P. Barrett, Christopher C. Landry, Jason C. Neff, Maureen P. Cassidy, Corey R. Lawrence, Kathleen E. McBride, G. Lang FarmerGeophysical Research Letters, Vol. 24, L12502 (June 23, 2007) : 

Disturbed Desert Dust Deposited on Mountain Snow Shortened Seasonal Snow Cover 18 to 35 Days in 2005 and 2006.Impact of Disturbed Desert Soils on Duration of Mountain Snow CoverThomas H. Painter, Andrew P. Barrett, Christopher C. Landry, Jason C. Neff, Maureen P. Cassidy, Corey R. Lawrence, Kathleen E. McBride, G. Lang FarmerGeophysical Research Letters, Vol. 24, L12502 (June 23, 2007)

In 2009, snow cover likely melted off 48 days earlier. : 

In 2009, snow cover likely melted off 48 days earlier. Thomas H. Painter, Presentation, Colorado River District Water Seminar, September 18, 2009, Grand Junction, Colorado

Radiative Forcing of Snow(Energy Absorption) : 

Radiative Forcing of Snow(Energy Absorption) Thomas H. Painter, Presentation, Colorado River District Water Seminar, September 18, 2009, Grand Junction, Colorado

Slide 18: 

Off-Road vehicle use on the mancos shale of Factory Butte increased dust production by a factor of approximately 68. Jayne Belnap, Presentation, Colorado River District Seminar, September 18, 2009, Grand Junction, Colorado

Slide 19: 

Dust inputs to the Colorado Plateau average 20-40 g/m2/year. Jayne Belnap, Presentation, Colorado River District Seminar, September 18, 2009, Grand Junction, Colorado Vehicle-disturbed surfaces produce up to 610 g/m2/minute.

Slide 23: 

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