Environmental Data: Longterm hydrological observatory Alptal (central ...

Daily meteorological and snow data (1968-2022) Alptal

Air temperature, dew point temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, precipitation and global radiation have been measured (since 1981) on a meadow (Erlenhöhe) in the Erlenbach catchment. It is located at 1'220 m a.s.l. with an exposure towards west. In order to assess the spatial variability of precipiation, two additional rain gauges have been running in the Vogelbach and Lümpenenbach catchment, respectively. For the period before 1981, meteorological variables have been extrapolated from the nearby MeteoSwiss station Einsiedeln (ca. 15 km north) to the WSL station Erlenhöhe using a linear correction factor for air temperature, wind speed and precipitation. Snow depth has been recorded automatically since 2003. Snow water equivalent has been calculated using two numerical models: COUP model (Jansson, 2012) and DeltaSnow model (Winkler et al., 2021) Jansson, P.-E. (2012). COUP model: model use, calibration, and validation.Transactions of the ASABE, 55(4), 1335–1344. Winkler, M., et al. (2021): Snow water equivalents exclusively from snow depths and their temporal changes: the Δsnow model, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 1165-1187, 10.5194/hess-25-1165-861 2021.

Daily runoff data from three steep torrents in the Alptal (1968-2022)

Runoff, water temperature and electrical conductivity have been measured since 1968 at the outlet of three torrential catchments (with an area of approximately 1 km2 each) located in the Alptal valley: Erlenbach, Lümpenenbach and Vogelbach. This data set provides daily mean values; data at 10-min resolution can be provided on request for the period 1984-2022 (contact: alptal@wsl.ch).

Manual snow measurements Alptal (1968-2022)

Snow depth, snow density and snow water equivalent have been measured since winter 1968/69 along more than 15 transects distributed across the Alptal valley representing different altitudes, aspects and land use (closed forest and open meadows). Length of the snow courses: 20 to 30 m. The measurement interval has been weekly to monthly. More details about the locations and methods can be found in Stähli, M.; Gustafsson, D., (2006). Long-term investigations of the snow cover in a subalpine semi-forested catchment. Hydrological Processes, 20, 411-428. doi: 10.1002/hyp.6058.

Runoff daily mean Alptal 1968-2024 EnviDat updated

Runoff, water temperature and electrical conductivity have been measured since 1968 at the outlet of three torrential catchments (with an area of approximately 1 km2 each) located in the Alptal valley: Erlenbach, Lümpenenbach and Vogelbach. This data set provides daily mean values; data at 10-min resolution can be provided on request for the period 1984-2024 (contact: alptal@wsl.ch).

Meteorological data Alptal 1968-2024 EnviDat updated

Air temperature, dew point temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, precipitation and global radiation have been measured (since 1981) on a meadow (Erlenhöhe) in the Erlenbach catchment. It is located at 1'220 m a.s.l. with an exposure towards west. In order to assess the spatial variability of precipitation, two additional rain gauges have been running in the Vogelbach and Lümpenenbach catchment, respectively. For the period before 1981, meteorological variables have been extrapolated from the nearby MeteoSwiss station Einsiedeln (ca. 15 km north) to the WSL station Erlenhöhe using a linear correction factor for air temperature, wind speed and precipitation. Snow depth has been recorded automatically since 2003. Snow water equivalent has been calculated using two numerical models: COUP model (Jansson, 2012) and DeltaSnow model (Winkler et al., 2021) Jansson, P.-E. (2012). COUP model: model use, calibration, and validation.Transactions of the ASABE, 55(4), 1335–1344. Winkler, M., et al. (2021): Snow water equivalents exclusively from snow depths and their temporal changes: the Δsnow model, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 1165-1187, 10.5194/hess-25-1165-861 2021.

Snow measurements Alptal 1969-2024 EnviDat updated

Snow depth, snow density and snow water equivalent have been measured since winter 1968/69 along more than 15 transects distributed across the Alptal valley representing different altitudes, aspects and land use (closed forest and open meadows). Length of the snow courses: 20 to 30 m. The measurement interval has been weekly to monthly. More details about the locations and methods can be found in Stähli, M.; Gustafsson, D., (2006). Long-term investigations of the snow cover in a subalpine semi-forested catchment. Hydrological Processes, 20, 411-428. doi: 10.1002/hyp.6058.