Estimates of Snowmelt Runoff in the Eastern Arctic

Abstract

<p>The purpose of this thesis is to set up simple computational models which require limited climatical data as input, in order to provide estimates of runoff during the spring-summer melt season for drainage basins in the Baffin Region. Due to the limitation of meteorological data in Arctic areas, the models were developed with only the major components of the hydrologic cycle, the components chosen on logical, physical basis with the restriction that the number of parameters be kept to a minimum.</p> <p>The models were used to generate daily average flows for the Duval River drainage basin. Unlike southern areas the major contribution of precipitation is snow which is retained until the ablation season which lasts from one to four months in Arctic areas. Observed and simulated results were found to be in agreement in terms of both volume and time distribution.</p> <p>As the optimised parameters are kept to a minimum it is hoped that it can be expanded for use on ungauged basins.</p>