Black Sand pilot experiment for speeding snowmelt on Niwot Ridge for summer 2015

We piloted using black sand as a method for speeding snowmelt on Niwot Ridge in the summer of 2015. At each of two sites (Trough and Tvan), two 2x2 m plots were set up and two 3x3m plots were set up, with one of each size plot receiving 600 g/m2 black sand and one receiving 800 g/m2 of black sand. The sand treatments sped snowmelt by 6-9 days. Initially, soil moisture appeared to be slightly lower in the sand plots and soil temperature appeared to be slightly higher, but these effects disappeared by July.