Snow hydrology studies using data from the Heat Capacity Mapping Mission

Abstract

This paper describes a study of the snow hydrology application of thermal infrared (IR) data from the Heat Capacity Mapping Mission (HCMM) satellite. The HCMM data in both imagery and digital tape formats are analyzed for two study areas: the Salt-Verde Watershed in central Arizona and the southern Sierra Nevada in California. The analysis procedures are described, including the development of a unique contour plotting program that makes it possible to overlay HCMM thermal contours directly onto the visible channel imagery. The results indicate that satellite thermal-IR data can provide the hydrologist with additional useful information on snow cover.