Meteorological conditions of surface sediment runoff formation during spring snowmelt in urban environment

Abstract

The relevance of the research is caused by the need to study sedimentation in urbanized area, which reduces the quality of urban environment and has negative effect on ecological situation. The main aim of the research is to analyze the meteorological conditions of surface sediment runoff formation in a large city during the intense spring snowmelt. Objects of the research is the urbanized area of the city of Yekaterinburg. Methods: study of meteorological conditions for the cold periods of 2015–2016 and 2016–2017, as well as in the spring seasons of 2016 and 2017; assess the features and differences of meteorological parameters and processes that had a major impact on the sediment runoff in the spring of 2016 and 2017. Results. The meteorological conditions of the cold periods 2015–2016 and 2016–2017 and the spring seasons 2016 and 2017 were reconstructed. Meteorological parameters and processes that had a significant impact on the sediment runoff in the urban area such as thermal regime of ground air, precipitation, snow cover, snowmelt, and freezing and thawing of soils were studied. The significant diference between meteorological conditions of the spring of 2016 and 2017 was found, that reflected in sedimentation and formation of more intense mud deposition in 2016. The following factors appear to be crucial for formation of surface sediment runoff in the urban environment in spring: water accumulated in the snow cover during the cold period of the year, characteristics of the thermal regime during snowmelt (duration, cold returns), precipitation and soil thawing intensity during the snowmelt. The results obtained can be used in planning the measures to improve the environmental situation in the urban areas. © 2020 Tomsk Polytechnic University, Publishing House. All rights reserved.