It is important to understand reflective properties of snow, for example for remote sensing applications and for modeling of energy balances in snow packs. We present a method with which we can compare reflectance measurements and calculations for the same snow sample structures. Therefore, we first tomograph snow samples to acquire snow structure images (6 x 2 mm). Second, we calculated the sa...

In this study, daily maps of snow cover distribution and sea ice extent produced by NOAA’s interactive multisensor snow and ice mapping system (IMS) were validated using in situ snow depth data from observing stations obtained from NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) for calendar years 2006 to 2010. IMS provides daily maps of snow and sea ice extent within the Northern Hemisphere using ...

In aerial radiation monitoring (ARM), the air dose rate cannot be appropriately estimated under snowy conditions due to attenuation of gamma rays by the snow layer. A technique to address this issue is required for ARM to obtain enough signals for air dose rates. To develop this technique, we investigated the relationship between snow depth and ARM measurement results using ARM, laser imaging d...

Snow measurements at the Kühtai station in Tirol, Austria, (1920 m.a.s.l.) are described. The data set includes snow water equivalent from a 10 m2 snow pillow, snow melt outflow from a 10 m2 snow lysimeter placed at the same location as the pillow, meteorological data (precipitation, incoming shortwave radiation, reflected shortwave radiation, air temperature, relative air humidity, and wind sp...

It is important to predict snow disasters to prevent and reduce hazards in pastoral areas. In this study, we build a potential risk assessment model based on a logistic regression of 33 snow disaster events that occurred in Qinghai Province. A simulation model of the snow disaster early warning is established using a back propagation artificial neural network (BP-ANN) method and is then validat...

In arctic tundra, where wind transport of snow is common, shrubs can significantly modify the distribution and physical characteristics of the snow cover. We examined interactions between shrubs and snow by measuring snow depths along three 1-km transects in arctic Alaska and then measuring plant canopy characteristics at the same locations during the following growing season. Snow depths corre...

Winter snowfall and its temporal variability are important factors in the development of water management strategies for snow-dominated regions. For example, mountain regions of Europe rely on snow for recreation, and on snowmelt for water supply and hydropower. It is still unclear whether in these regions the snow regime is undergoing any major significant change. Moreover, snow interannual va...

Snow-cover information is important for a wide variety of scientific studies, water supply and management applications. The NASA Earth Observing System (EOS) Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) provides improved capabilities to observe snow cover from space and has been successfully using a normalized difference snow index (NDSI), along with threshold tests, to provide global,...

The modern global warming trends require permanent monitoring of the atmospheric and underlying surface parameters on a global scale. This can be achieved only using satellite observations (preferably, from a geostationary orbit). One of key parameters to monitor is the snow and ice global cover and also snow/ice albedo. This is due to the fact that snow and ice are highly reflective surfaces a...

Mesocarnivores are increasingly recognized as key drivers of community dynamics, but the effects of bottom-up and abiotic factors on mesocarnivore populations remain poorly understood. We evaluated the effects of snow conditions, prey abundance, and habitat type on the distribution of five sympatric mesocarnivore species in interior Alaska using repeated snow track surveys and occupancy modelli...