HR: 0800h
AN: C41A-0174    [Abstracts]
TI: Mapping Snowmelt and Snow Water Equivalent in Arctic Alaska using Microwave Remote Sensing
AU: * Forster, R R
EM: rick.forster@geog.utah.edu
AF: University of Utah Department of Geography, 260 S. Central Campus Dr.,Rm 270, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 United States
AU: Deeb, E
EM: elias.deeb@geog.utah.edu
AF: University of Utah Department of Geography, 260 S. Central Campus Dr.,Rm 270, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 United States
AU: Baruah, A
EM: angira.baruah@geog.utah.edu
AF: Remote Sensing Applications Center - US Forest Service, 2222 W. 2300 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84119 United States
AU: Koenig, L
EM: lorak@u.washington.edu
AF: University of Washington Dept.Earth and Space Sciences, Campus Box 351310, Seattle, WA 98195 United States
AU: Baumgras, L
EM: lbaumgras@frontiernet.net
AF: ITT Industries Remote Sensing Systems, Remote Sensing Systems, Rochester, NY 14627 United States
AB: The transition from snow cover to snow free conditions for the Arctic land surface is the most significant event in the Arctic hydrologic cycle. Due to the spatial scale and inhospitable conditions characteristic of this region, classification of the transition and estimates of snow water equivalent (SWE) are best made with remote sensing techniques. In particular, microwave remote sensing has the advantages of imaging through the frequent cloud cover and long polar nights. Electromagnetic energy at these wavelengths is also extremely sensitive to the presence or absence of free water in a snowpack enabling the timing and extent of snowmelt to be mapped. Remote sensing techniques using a variety of microwave sensors to derive snowpack conditions for the North Slope of Alaska will be presented. The spatial and temporal progression of snowmelt is mapped from both active and passive microwave spaceborne sensors. One such snowmelt map, for the Kuparuk River Basin, is coupled to a snowmelt runoff model (SRM) to simulate the spring-time hydrograph. SWE estimates from microwave remote sensing are also evaluated on the North Slope.
DE: 1860 Runoff and streamflow
DE: 1863 Snow and ice (1827)
DE: 1640 Remote sensing
SC: Cryosphere [C]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting