Estimation of Snow Fraction Using Aviris Simulated Aster Image Data

Seasonally snow covered areas of the mountain ranges are important components in the global hydrologic cycle. Therefore monitoring the extent of the seasonal snow cover and the accumulation and ablation zones of glaciers is essential for understanding of the global hydrologic cycle, one of the objectives in the study of the Earth sciences. Seasonal snow cover is the major source of the fresh water supply over wide areas of the mid-latitudes. They account for a significant fraction of the fresh water supply. In the western U.S., for example, about 80 per cent of the total runoff comes from melting snow. Measurement of the amount of water stored in the snowpack and forecasting the rate of melt are thus essential for managing the water supply and flood control systems.