Snowpack processes and dynamics in the marginal snow environment of the Australian Alps

Marginal snow environments, characterised by high variability and air temperatures close to 0 °C throughout winter, make important contributions to regional water supplies and ecosystems. This thesis investigated the properties of marginal snow in the Australian Alps. It showed that these snowpacks are particularly dynamic, and that models and assumptions developed in regions with colder and more persistent snow may be inaccurate in m'arginal environments, where differences in accumulation and ablation dynamics, spatial variability, and snowmelt energy drivers, are important. This thesis provides a better understanding of these factors for future research and water resource management in marginal snow landscapes.