@article{fdi:010081490,
  title = {{D}ynamics of seasonal snowpack over the {H}igh {A}tlas},
  author = {{T}uel, {A}. and {C}hehbouni, {A}bdelghani and {E}ltahir, {E}. {A}. {B}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{S}nowpack melting in the {H}igh {A}tlas constitutes the major source of freshwater for the semi-arid agricultural plains of central {M}orocco. {S}now runoff fills dams during spring and recharges groundwater, thus providing the necessary water for irrigation and hydropower production. {D}espite its critical importance for the region, basic questions about the {H}igh {A}tlas snowpack remain largely unanswered. {I}n particular, the spatial and temporal distribution of snow water equivalent, as well as sublimation losses, potentially significant in this region, have yet to be thoroughly investigated. {T}he scarcity of ground data has been a major obstacle to investigating snow processes in the {H}igh {A}tlas. {H}ere, we demonstrate the potential of remotely-sensed meteorological variables and downscaled climate reanalysis data to gain important insights into snow water balance in a semi-arid region. {W}e apply a distributed energy balance snow model based on {SNOW}17, constrained by topographic data, meteorological data from satellites and high-resolution dynamically-downscaled {ERA}-{I}nterim data, to simulate snowpack dynamics within the {O}um-{E}r-{R}bia watershed, at the heart of {M}orocco's {H}igh {A}tlas. {T}he simulations are compared to {MODIS} snow cover maps and observed snow depth at one field station. {R}esults show that the spatial extent and temporal dynamics of snow cover at various elevation ranges are accurately captured. {T}he snowpack is essentially concentrated above 2500 m, extends over 500-6000 km(2) and holds 0.05-0.4 km(3) at its peak in early {F}ebruary. {A}dditionally, we find that losses by sublimation range from 0.06 to 0.14 km(3) for an average of 0.09 km(3) a year, about 10% of all snowfall. {A}bove 3000 m elevation, sublimation removes on average 20% of the snowpack. {F}inally, we discuss the sensitivity of our results to uncertainties in the forcing meteorological data. {T}his study reveals the essential components of the snow water balance in the {H}igh {A}tlas and paves the way for better understanding of its sensitivity to climate change.},
  keywords = {{E}mpirical snow model ; {SNOW}17 ; {SWE} ; {M}orocco ; {S}ublimation ; {MAROC} ; {ZONE} {SEMIARIDE} ; {HAUT} {ATLAS}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{J}ournal of {H}ydrology},
  volume = {595},
  numero = {},
  pages = {125657 [14 ]},
  ISSN = {0022-1694},
  year = {2021},
  DOI = {10.1016/j.jhydrol.2020.125657},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010081490},
}