Koshkin et al. (2026) Process‐Based Model Parameters for Post‐Fire Snow Hydrology: Looking Beyond Snow Albedo and Vegetation

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Water Resources Research
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-08-27
• Authors: Arielle L. Koshkin, Adrienne M. Marshall, Andrew W. Wood
• DOI: 10.1029/2026wr043508

Research Groups

• Department of Earth Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder
• Laboratory for Hydrology and Water Resources, University of Colorado Boulder

Short Summary

This paper investigates the impact of wildfires on snow accumulation and melt dynamics using a physically based model, identifying key parameters that influence post-fire snowpack evolution. The study reveals significant differences in snow energy balance and processes between burned and unburned forests.

Objective

• Investigate the effects of wildfires on snowpack physical properties and energy balance

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: High elevation Colorado watershed (regional scale)
• Temporal Scale: Annual snow season (winter to spring)

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Structure for Unifying Multiple Modeling Alternatives (SUMMA)
• Data sources: Airborne LiDAR-based snow depth, satellite observations

Main Results

• Albedo decay rate is 45% faster in burned forests than unburned forests
• Maximum canopy interception for rain is 60% lower in burned forests
• Minimum temperature for snow unloading is 3.9°C warmer in burned forests
• Snow surface roughness is 902% higher in burned forests
• Model simulations indicate 17% lower peak absolute cold content and SWE in burned conditions

Contributions

• Provides a process-level foundation for improving the simulated representation of post-fire snow dynamics
• Highlights the combined influence of canopy loss and accelerated albedo decay on snow energy balance

Funding

• This research was funded by the National Science Foundation (Award #XXXXX)

Citation

@article{Koshkin2026ProcessBased,
  author = {Koshkin, Arielle L. and Marshall, Adrienne M. and Wood, Andrew W.},
  title = {Process‐Based Model Parameters for Post‐Fire Snow Hydrology: Looking Beyond Snow Albedo and Vegetation},
  journal = {Water Resources Research},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1029/2026wr043508},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1029/2026wr043508}
}