Articles | Volume 25, issue 19
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-12535-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.Snow particle fragmentation enhances snow sublimation
Download
- Final revised paper (published on 09 Oct 2025)
- Preprint (discussion started on 11 Nov 2024)
Interactive discussion
Status: closed
Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor
| : Report abuse
-
RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-3218', Anonymous Referee #1, 27 Nov 2024
- AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Guang Li, 23 Feb 2025
-
RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-3218', Anonymous Referee #2, 16 Dec 2024
- AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Guang Li, 23 Feb 2025
Peer review completion
AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision | EF: Editorial file upload
AR by Guang Li on behalf of the Authors (16 Mar 2025)
Author's response
Author's tracked changes
Manuscript
ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (25 Mar 2025) by Timothy Garrett
RR by Anonymous Referee #1 (23 Apr 2025)

RR by Anonymous Referee #2 (05 Jun 2025)

ED: Publish subject to minor revisions (review by editor) (04 Jul 2025) by Timothy Garrett

AR by Guang Li on behalf of the Authors (14 Jul 2025)
Author's response
EF by Mario Ebel (12 Aug 2025)
Manuscript
Author's tracked changes
ED: Publish as is (15 Aug 2025) by Timothy Garrett

AR by Guang Li on behalf of the Authors (16 Aug 2025)
Manuscript
This paper addresses the dynamics and thermodynamics of drifting and blowing snow with a modeling approach. It emphasizes on the fragmentation of initially mainly dendritic ice crystals shattered to smaller rounded particles due to collision or impact on the surface during saltation and suspension processes. The consequences of such breaking mechanisms on snow sublimation dynamics are quantitatively assessed again from a modeling perspective.
Given the scarce knowledge on these processes, this paper deals with a highly important and relevant question and makes a valuable contribution to further understanding drifting snow dynamics and associated sublimation, both important processes in large parts of the world, such as polar ice sheets, and high latitude regions in Alaska, Canada, Scandinavia, Eurasia, and High-Mountain Asia.
The model presented in this paper explicitly implements fragmentation of snow particles and is based on an otherwise established and validated model framework (Thorpe and Mason, 1966; Comola et al., 2017; Huang and Shi, 2017). The model is validated with two observational data sets (Schmidt,1982; Pomeroy and Male, 1992) showing good agreement. A more comprehensive validation would have been desirable but is probably not feasible due to the lack of suitable validation data. Model simulations are performed in two configurations, (1) particle fragmentation disabled and (2) particle fragmentation enabled, both over a range of friction velocities which are used as proxies for different wind speed conditions. Then, results of the two series of simulations are quantitatively compared evaluating the effect of fragmentation on particle size distribution, saltation and suspension particle number, airborne mass concentration and mass flux, and most importantly the sublimation rate. These results clearly show the relevance and influence of particle fragmentation on the investigated quantities notably the increase of sublimation at all simulated wind conditions.
The paper nicely sheds light on processes of snow drift, particle fragmentation, and associated sublimation dynamics and therefore constitutes a valuable contribution in this domain. Below, I am suggesting some minor revisions necessary to clarify a few points and to fill in where small additions are needed. Major revisions though are needed for language, readability, and clarity of the paper. Instead of listing all these points, I am providing an annotated manuscript with corrections, suggestions, and language revisions for integration into a better readable and understandable manuscript.
Specific comments:
Minor comments (with line no. reference):