HR: 16:35h
AN: C42C-03    [PDF]
TI: Snow Cover Distribution Modeled From NASA Cold Land Processes (CLPX) Field Measurements
AU: * Elder, K
EM: kelder@fs.fed.us
AF: USDA Forest Service - RMRS, 240 West Prospect Rd, Fort Collins, CO 80526 United States
AU: Cline, D
EM: cline@nohrsc.nws.gov
AF: National Weather Service, 1735 Lake Drive West, Chanhassen, MN 55317 United States
AU: Liston, G
EM: liston@atmos.colostate.edu
AF: Colorado State University, Dept of Atmospheric Sciences, Fort Collins, CO 80523 United States
AB: Snow distribution was modeled over nine 1-km square field sites in Colorado. The sites were measured as part of the NASA Cold Land Processes Experiment (CLPX) during the winters of 2002 and 2003, at the end of February and March in both years. In each field site more than 500 snow depth and 16 snow pit locations were identified for sampling. Due to logistics and safety, all sites were not measured in some cases. We have distributed snow depth and density over all nine sites for all four sampling dates using a combination of methods including classification and regression trees, and geostatistics. The maps of snow depth, density and water equivalent were produced as a baseline for comparison of other estimation methods, applications such as runoff modeling, and as a tool for sensor and algorithm development for remotely sensed data collected during the CLPX field campaigns. Sites used in the study varied greatly in terms of physiography and climate. Sites included a wide range of elevation, land use, and vegetation cover from grassland to thick forest. Resultant snowpacks ranged from shallow, intermittent and discontinuous snow cover to deep snowpacks.
DE: 1827 Glaciology (1863)
DE: 1833 Hydroclimatology
DE: 1884 Water supply
SC: Cryosphere [C]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting