Degree-day factors are widely used to estimate snowmelt runoff in operational hydrological models. Usually, they are calibrated on observed runoff, and sometimes on satellite snow cover data. In this paper, we propose a new method for estimating the snowmelt degree-day factor (DDFS) directly from MODIS snow covered area (SCA) and ground-based snow depth data without calibration. Subcatchment sn...

Vertical soundings of the snowpack are essential diagnostic tools for snow hydrologists and avalanche forecasters. Hydrologists require quantitative profiles of snow density from which they can infer the total amount of snow coverage in a region. Because variations in altitude and terrain can result in widely different coverage, they must dig a relatively large number of pits or extract and wei...

The relationship between snow water equivalence (SWE) and SAR backscattering coefficients at Cand X-band (5.5 and 9.6 GHz) can be either positive or negative. Therefore, discovery of the relationship with an empirical approach is unrealistic. Instead, we estimate snow depth and particle size using SIR-C/X-SAR imagery from a physically-based first order backscattering model through analyses of t...

Abstract. Canada's water cycle is driven mainly by snowmelt. Snow equivalent (SWE) the snow-related variable that most commonly used in hydrology, as it expresses total quantity of (solid and liquid) stored snowpack. Measurements SWE are, however, expensive not continuously accessible real time. This motivates a search for alternative ways estimating from measurements are more widely available ...

Large variations in both snow water equivalent (SWE) and snow slope stability are known to exist in the alpine snowpack, caused by wind, topographic and microclimatic effects. This variability makes extrapolation of point measurements of snowpack properties difficult and prone to error, but these types of measurements are used to estimate SWE and stability across entire mountain ranges. Radar t...

The Himalayas are presently holding the largest ice masses outside the polar regions and thus (temporarily) store important freshwater resources. In contrast to the contemplation of glaciers, the role of runoff from snow cover has received comparably little attention in the past, although (i) its contribution is thought to be at least equally or even more important than that of ice melt in many...

geographic information and analysis provide a wide range of data and techniques to monitor and manage natural resources. as an important case, in arid and semi-arid areas, water management is critical for both local governance and citizens. as a result, the estimation of water potential brought by snowmelt runoff and rainfalls seems to be very useful and important for these areas. hydrological ...