4.3 Differences in seasonal snowmelt of the Western Sichuan
Plateau
The Mamukao River exhibits a broad distribution of stable snow during
spring (see Figure x). The region encompasses 1682 raster sample
numbers, of which only 276 represent non-accumulating raster samples.
The remaining raster samples, which account for 85.6% of the total,
indicate snow accumulation. The lack of specificity in these
measurements may result in diminished accuracy of the prediction model.
Consequently, the spring maximum entropy prediction model employed in
this study yielded low accuracy for the Mamukao River (Jiang et al.
2020,Shuying et al. 2015). However, it has also been shown that
radiation, windblown snow, and precipitation all contribute to the
snowpack to some degree, and the influencing factors may vary between
seasons (Alonso-González et al. 2020,Ding et al. 2023). In the Tian Shan
region of Xinjiang, the snowpack extent is significantly influenced by
temperature in spring and summer, while precipitation plays a
predominant role in winter. In the western Sichuan Plateau, despite
lower temperatures during winter compared to spring, snow retention is
better, but winter precipitation is limited, and there are more clear
days with strong solar radiation. As a result, the snowpack melts faster
due to radiation. Additionally, the winter season in the western Sichuan
Plateau experiences strong winds, which can cause snow transport and
redistribution to lower elevations or sublimation in the atmosphere. On
the other hand, in spring, although temperatures are higher, the
abundant precipitation and fewer clear days result in reduced ability of
the snowpack to absorb solar radiation. Furthermore, lower-altitude
areas experience higher temperatures, leading to faster snowmelt.
However, these areas have less snow distribution, mainly due to
precipitation, whereas higher-elevation mountainous areas receive more
snowfall, resulting in a widespread snow distribution. Consequently,
snow variations in these areas are relatively stable, leading to a
slower snowmelt rate in spring compared to winter.