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At least 91 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2010

Relationship Between Satellite-Derived Snow Cover and Snowmelt-Runoff Timing and Stream Power in the Wind River Range, Wyoming

Earlier onset of springtime weather including earlier snowmelt has been documented in the western United States over at least the last 50 years. Because the majority (>70%) of the water supply in the western U.S. comes from snowmelt, analysis of the declining spring snowpack (and shrinking glaciers) has important implications for streamflow management. The amount of water in a snowpack influences stream discharge which can also influence erosion and sediment transport by changing stream power, or the rate at which a stream can do work such as move sediment and erode the stream bed. The focus of this work is the Wind River Range (WRR) in west-central Wyoming. Ten years of Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) snow-cover, cloud- gap-filled (CGF) map products and 30 years of discharge and meteorological station data are studied. Streamflow data from six streams in the WRR drainage basins show lower annual discharge and earlier snowmelt in the decade of the 2000s than in the previous three decades, though no trend of either lower streamflow or earlier snowmelt was observed using MODIS snow-cover maps within the decade of the 2000s. Results show a statistically-significant trend at the 95% confidence level (or higher) of increasing weekly maximum air temperature (for three out of the five meteorological stations studied) in the decade of the 1970s, and also for the 40-year study period. MODIS-derived snow cover (percent of basin covered) measured on 30 April explains over 89% of the variance in discharge for maximum monthly streamflow in the decade of the 2000s using Spearman rank correlation analysis. We also investigated stream power for Bull Lake Creek Above Bull Lake from 1970 to 2009; a statistically-significant end toward reduced stream power was found (significant at the 90% confidence level). Observed changes in streamflow and stream power may be related to increasing weekly maximum air temperature measured during the 40-year study period. The strong relationship between percent of basin covered and streamflow indicates that MODIS data is useful for predicting streamflow, leading to improved reservoir management

Hall, Dorothy K.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Variability of snow cover characteristics in the Transbaykal

The variations in snow cover characteristics in the Transbaykal were examined. Results are presented of an experimental verification of the Transbaykal theoretical developments to improve the efficiency of snow measurement photographs.

Govsh, R. K.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Measuring snow cover using satellite imagery during 1973 and 1974 melt season: North Santiam, Boise, and Upper Snake Basins, phase 1

Measurements are examined of snow coverage during the snow-melt season in 1973 and 1974 from LANDSAT imagery for the three Columbia River Subbasins. Satellite derived snow cover inventories for the three test basins were obtained as an alternative to inventories performed with the current operational practice of using small aircraft flights over selected snow fields. The accuracy and precision versus cost for several different interactive image analysis procedures was investigated using a display device, the Electronic Satellite Image Analysis Console. Single-band radiance thresholding was the principal technique employed in the snow detection, although this technique was supplemented by an editing procedure involving reference to hand-generated elevation contours. For each data and view measured, a binary thematic map or "mask" depicting the snow cover was generated by a combination of objective and subjective procedures. Photographs of data analysis equipment (displays) are shown.

Wiegman, E. J.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Evaluate the application of ERTS-A data for detecting and mapping snow cover

The author has identified the following significant results. Analysis of ERTS-1 data covering the test sites in the western United States indicate that the MSS-4 and 5 spectral bands are the most useful for detecting and mapping snow cover. Of these two bands, the MSS-5 is the most consistently useful, as snow-covered areas in some MSS-4 images are nearly saturated causing some loss of detail. Snow can be readily detected and can be distinguished from clouds through a number of interpretive keys. At the ERTS-1 resolution, numerous terrestrial features not visible in lower resolution meteorological satellite data can be detected. In addition to various natural features, man-made features such as roads, electric power lines, cultivated fields, and timber cuts are visible. In two cases analyzed for the Salt-Verde Watershed in Arizona, good agreement is observed between the location of the snowline as mapped from the ERTS-1 data and as depicted on aerial snow survey charts compiled within a few days of the ERTS-1 passage. Results indicate that the snowline can be mapped in more detail from ERTS-1 imagery than can be achieved by current aerial survey methods.

Barnes, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Evaluate the application of ERTS-A data for detecting and mapping snow cover

The author has identified the following significant results. Preliminary results of the analysis of a limited sample of ERTS-1 data from the western United States and the Arctic indicate that snow cover can be detected in the MSS-4 and MSS-5 bands by its high reflectance compared to that of the surrounding snow-free terrain. Snow can generally be distinguished from clouds because of well-defined boundaries as compared with the less distinct cloud edges, the lack of shadows characteristic of clouds, and pattern configurations that fit closely with higher elevations and terrain features. At higher latitudes where repetitive ERTS-1 coverage occurs snow can also be identified by the day-to-day continuity of the patterns. In the longer wavelengths, particularly the MSS-7 band, the contrast between snow and snow-free terrain is much lower, and, thus, snow is more difficult to detect. ERTS-1 data from the Canadian Arctic shows the seasonal increase in snow cover in several areas. In other ERTS-1 data, considerable detail is evident in glaciers located along the east and west coasts of Greenland.

Barnes, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Preliminary Evaluation of the AFWA-NASA (ANSA) Blended Snow-Cover Product over the Lower Great Lakes Region

The Air Force Weather Agency (AFWA) - NASA (ANSA) blended-snow product utilizes EOS standard snow products from the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS (AMSR-E) to map daily snow cover and snow-water equivalent (SWE) globally. We have compared ANSA-derived SWE. with SWE values calculated from snow depths reported at approx.1500 National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) coop stations in the Lower Great Lakes basin. Our preliminary results show that conversion of snow depth to SWE is very sensitive to the choice of snow density (we used either 0.2 or 03 as conversion factors). We found overall better agreement between the ANSA-derived SWE and the co-op station data when we use a snow density of 0.3 to convert the snow depths to SWE. In addition, we show that the ANSA underestimates SWE in densely-forested areas, using January and February 2008 ANSA and co-op data. Furthermore, apparent large SWE changes from one day to the next may be caused by thaw-re-freeze events, and do not always represent a real change in SWE. In the near future we will continue the analysis in the 2006-07 and 2007-08 snow seasons.

Hall, Dorothy K.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Comparison of measurements and theory for backscatter from bare and snow-covered saline ice

C-band radar backscatter measurements were made on artificially grown sea ice during the winters of 1987-1988 and 1988-1989. These measurements were made on smooth, rough, and snow-covered saline ice. The measured sigma-deg(theta) of smooth saline ice (rms height less than 0.05 cm) disagreed with small perturbation method (SPM) surface scattering predictions. Using physical parameters of the ice in a simple layer model, it us shown that this discrepancy can be explained by scattering from beneath the surface. A thin (7-cm) dry snow cover had a significant influence on backscatter from the smooth ice sheet. This influence was due to scattering from particles within the snow, and can be predicted by a commonly used empirical layer model for snow. The results of backscatter measurements of a moderately rough saline ice sheet were found to agree with SPM predictions.

Bredow, Jonathan W.↗
NASA NTRS2020

The Role of Declining Snow Cover in the Desiccation of the Great Salt Lake, Utah, using MODIS Data

The Great Salt Lake (GSL) in Utah has been shrinking since the middle of the 19th Century, leading to decreased area and volume, and increased salinity. We use satellite data products from the Terra and Aqua MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the Landsat-7 and -8 satellites, along with meteorological and streamflow data, and modeled data products to study the relationship between changing snow-cover conditions and the decline of the GSL since 2000 in the context of the historical record of lake levels. The GSL basin includes much of the snow-dominated Wasatch and Uinta mountain ranges to the east of the lake. Snowmelt feeds the Bear, Jordan, and Weber rivers which are the three main rivers that flow into the lake. Snowmelt-timing maps, derived from a new MODIS standard snow-cover product, MOD10A1F, show that snow melted ~9.5 days earlier in the GSL basin during the study period, extending from 2000 – 2018. Air temperatures derived from 26 meteorological stations and surface temperatures measured by the Aqua MODIS land-surface temperature (LST) products, MYD21A1D and MYD21A1N, show trends of increasing temperature of ~0.94°C (a=0.05), and ~2.18°C, respectively, with most of the LST trends in the GSL basin being statistically significant (a=0.05). Increasing air temperatures in the basin have led to less precipitation falling as snow, lower snow depth (by ~34.5 mm (=0.01)) and snow-water equivalent (0.02 mm (a=0.01)), and earlier snowmelt. Also during the study period, Global Land surface Evaporation Amsterdam Model data show evaporation increasing by ~3.2 mm/yr, with trends in much of the basin being statistically significant (a=0.05). Trends calculated from the various products are generally in agreement indicating higher temperatures, greater evaporation, less snowfall and snow-on-the ground, and earlier snowmelt. Earlier snowmelt contributes to increasing evaporative loss from water flowing toward the lake. Furthermore, a lower mountain snowpack and less precipitation falling as snow (versus rain) is associated with lower stream discharge even if overall precipitation stays the same. The surface-water temperature of the GSL also increased over the study period by ~ 0.69°C, according to the MODIS LST data products, and the surface-water elevation of the lake dropped by ~1.7 m between 2000 and 2018 based on United States Geological Survey measurements, and the areal extent of the lake decreased by ~901 km2 as measured using Landsat imagery. Desiccation of the lake is associated with deleterious effects on wildlife, recreational activities, and some local industries. And, importantly, an expanding lake bed can also fuel dust storms that promote dangerous air quality along the Wasatch Front. This work elucidates the key role that satellite remote sensing can play in documenting earlier snowmelt and other changes in the GSL basin that influence the ongoing decline of the Great Salt Lake.

Dorothy K Hall↗
NASA NTRS1990

Satellite-derived reflectance of snow-covered surfaces in northern Minnesota

The reflectance of snow-covered surfaces in Minnesota is analyzed using Landsat-5 Thematic Mapper satellite data. Calculations are performed for satellite-derived reflectances integrated over the spectral region (0.45-0.9 micron). Corrections are applied for atmospheric effects and integrated reflectances (R1) are compared over agricultural and forested areas and over a lake using TM scenes acquired in November 1984 and January 1985. Integrated reflectances are then mapped and inter- and intra-scene comparisons of surface reflectance are compared. Temporal analysis of reflectance changes can then be performed rapidly and efficiently using color-coded images. It is noted that the average R1 within the November 1984 subscene was 0.429 + or - 0.176, whereas R1 within the January 1985 subscene was 0.669 + or - 0.236.

Hall, D. K.↗
NASA NTRS1971

Nimbus 3 and 4 Observations of Snow Cover and Other Hydrological Features in the Western Himalayas

Photographs from the Nimbus 3 and 4 image dissector camera systems and high resolution infrared radiometers illustrate and demonstrate their applicability in observing snow cover and other hydrological features. This collection of imagery shows the relative merits of daily observations of these features in the visible, near infrared, and far infrared portions of the electromagnetic spectrum with sensors having nominal spatial resolutions between 4 and 8 kilometers. Particular emphasis has been placed on observing features associated with the Indus River because of the economic and social importance of this in the lives of millions of people. The overall results clearly indicate that it is feasible to monitor quantitatively the extent of the snow cover over the Indus River watershed during a given year and from one year to another using meteorological satellite imagery.

Salomonson, V. V.↗
NASA NTRS2000

The Impact of Detailed Snow Physics on the Simulation of Snow Cover and Subsurface Thermodynamics at Continental Scales

The three-layer snow model is coupled to the global catchment-based Land Surface Model (LSM) of the NASA Seasonal to Interannual Prediction Project (NSIPP) project, and the combined models are used to simulate the growth and ablation of snow cover over the North American continent for the period 1987-1988. The various snow processes included in the three-layer model, such as snow melting and re-freezing, dynamic changes in snow density, and snow insulating properties, are shown (through a comparison with the corresponding simulation using a much simpler snow model) to lead to an improved simulation of ground thermodynamics on the continental scale.

Stieglitz, Marc↗
NASA NTRS2019

Assimilation of Satellite-Based Snow Cover and Freeze/Thaw Observations Over the High Mountain Asia

Toward qualifying hydrologic changes in the High Mountain Asia (HMA) region, this study explores the use of a hyper-resolution (1 km) land data assimilation (DA)framework developed within the NASA Land Information System using the Noah Multi-parameterization Land Surface Model (Noah-MP) forced by the meteorological boundary conditions from Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 data. Two different sets of DA experiments are conducted:(1) the assimilation of a satellite-derived snow cover map (MOD10A1) and (2) the assimilation of the NASA MEaSUREs landscape freeze/thaw product from 2007 to 2008. The performance of the snow cover assimilation is evaluated via comparisons with available remote sensing-based snow water equivalent product and ground-based snow depth measurements. For example, in the comparison against ground-based snow depth measurements, the majority of the stations (13 of 14) show slightly improved goodness-of-fit statistics as a result of the snow DA, but only four are statistically significant. In addition, comparisons to the satellite-based land surface temperature products (MOD11A1 and MYD11A1) show that freeze/thaw DA yields improvements (at certain grid cells) of up to 0.58 K in the root-mean-square error (RMSE) and 0.77K in the absolute bias (relative to model-only simulations). In the comparison against three ground-based soil temperature measurements along the Himalayas, the bias and the RMSE in the 0-10 cm soil temperature are reduced (on average) by 10 and 7%,respectively. The improvements in the top layer of soil estimates also propagate through the deeper soil layers, where the bias and the RMSE in the 10-40 cm soil temperature are reduced (on average) by 9 and 6%, respectively. However, no statistically significant skill differences are observed for the freeze/thaw DA system in the comparisons against ground-based surface temperature measurements at mid-to-low altitude. Therefore, the two proposed DA schemes show the potential of improving the predictability of snow mass, surface temperature, and soil temperature states across HMA, but more ground-based measurements are still required, especially at high-altitudes, in order to document a more statistically significant improvement as a result of the two DA schemes.

High Mountain Asia↗
NASA NTRS1973

Use of ERTS data for mapping snow cover in the western United States

The purpose of this investigation is to evaluate the application of ERTS data for mapping snow cover, primarily in the mountainous areas of the western United States. The specific objectives are to determine the spectral interval most suitable for snow detection, to determine the accuracy with which snow lines can be mapped in comparison with the accuracies attainable from other types of measurements, and to develop techniques to differentiate reliably between snow and clouds and to understand the effects of terrain and forest cover on snow detection.

Barnes, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS2023

Summer Atmospheric Circulation Over Greenland in Response to Arctic Amplification and Diminished Spring Snow Cover

The exceptional atmospheric conditions that have accelerated Greenland Ice Sheet mass loss in recent decades have been repeatedly recognized as a possible dynamical response to Arctic amplification. Here, we present evidence of two potentially synergistic mechanisms linking high-latitude warming to the observed increase in Greenland blocking. Consistent with a prominent hypothesis associating Arctic amplification and persistent weather extremes, we show that the summer atmospheric circulation over the North Atlantic has become wavier and link this wavier flow to more prevalent Greenland blocking. While a concomitant decline in terrestrial snow cover has likely contributed to this mechanism by further amplifying warming at high latitudes, we also show that there is a direct stationary Rossby wave response to low spring North American snow cover that enforces an anomalous anticyclone over Greenland, thus helping to anchor the ridge over Greenland in this wavier atmospheric state.

Atmospheric dynamics↗
NASA NTRS1973

Principal sources and dispersal patterns of suspended particulate matter in nearshore surface waters of the northeast Pacific Ocean and seasonal variation in snow cover in the Sierra Nevada

The author has identified the following significant results. ERTS-1 imagery used in conjunction with the surface-drift cards indicated a southerly flow direction of the central California near surface coastal currents during mid-June 1973. The near-surface currents off northern California and southern Oregon were more complex. Some drift cards were recovered north and some south of their release points; however, the prevalent direction of flow was northerly. General agreement in flow direction of coastal currents obtained from ERTS-1 imagery and drift card data reinforces the image interpretation. Complete seasonal coverage of nearshore circulation interpreted from ERTS-1 imagery will provide information necessary for proper coastal zone management. Extent of snow cover can be readily delimited on ERTS-1 band 5. In the central Sierra Nevada Mountains this past winter season, the snow line, as recorded by ERTS-1, reached an elevation of less than 1500 meters in January but had melted back to between 2500 and 3000 meters by the end of May. ERTS-1 imagery seems to provide sufficient resolution to make it a useful tool for monitoring changes in snow cover in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Carlson, P. R.↗