Article
Environmental Sciences
Franklin B. Sullivan, Adam G. Hunsaker, Michael W. Palace, Jennifer M. Jacobs
Summary: Sensors on unmanned aerial systems have provided high-resolution snow depth estimates over watershed scales. Precision is poorer in forested areas, particularly beneath tree canopies. Lower flight speeds improve precision and increase the area of accurate snow depth estimates, but reduce spatial coverage.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Akshay Patil, Gulab Singh, Christoph Rudiger, Shradha Mohanty, Sanjeev Kumar, Snehmani
Summary: This study proposes an algorithm for snow depth and snow water equivalent retrieval based on a polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (SAR) decomposition model and field measured data. The algorithm was validated through field campaigns in the Indian Himalaya, showing promising accuracy for both snow depth and snow water equivalent.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON GEOSCIENCE AND REMOTE SENSING
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jinliang Hou, Chunlin Huang, Weijing Chen, Ying Zhang
Summary: This study proposed an innovative MODIS fractional snow cover data assimilation framework that combines machine learning techniques with a physically based snowpack model, achieving marked improvements in the accuracy of snow depth and snow cover estimates.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Tianwen Feng, Xiaohua Hao, Jian Wang, Siqiong Luo, Guanghui Huang, Hongyi Li, Qin Zhao
Summary: UAV-LiDAR was used to estimate the snow depth (SD) on the Maxian Mountains and validate the data quality and accuracy. The results showed that LiDAR had higher accuracy for shallow snow than for deep snow. Seasonal deformation of the ground and sampling errors caused by the ice layer were the main factors affecting the accuracy.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Civil
J. Revuelto, B. Cluzet, N. Duran, M. Fructus, M. Lafaysse, E. Cosme, M. Dumont
Summary: The study investigates the conditions for assimilating MODIS-like synthetic surface reflectances to improve the reliability of ensemble snowpack simulations. Results show that assimilating the first seven bands covering visible and near-infrared wavelengths provides the best scores, but simulation results in high-altitude mountain areas still need to be improved.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Pengtao Wei, Tingbin Zhang, Xiaobing Zhou, Guihua Yi, Jingji Li, Na Wang, Bo Wen
Summary: By combining meteorological, remote sensing, and environmental data, a model was developed to reconstruct daily snow depth data for the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The model showed that snow depth variations are influenced by multiple environmental factors, and it demonstrated improved accuracy in reconstructing snow depth data compared to traditional methods, especially for shallow snow depths.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Aleh Meshyk, Maryna Barushka, Viktoryia Marozava
Summary: There are differences in snow cover characteristics between Belarus and neighboring countries, with variations in snow water equivalent related to altitude, year, and region. Snow water equivalent shows cyclic changes and correlates with current climate fluctuations. There is a trend of decreasing snow water equivalent in certain parts of Belarus, while meltwater and river runoff data support the findings.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
G. Piazzi, G. Thirel, C. Perrin, O. Delaigue
Summary: Skillful streamflow forecasts are crucial for water-related applications, with a growing emphasis on improving initial condition estimates through data assimilation. This study assesses the sensitivity of DA-based IC estimation to various uncertainties and model updates over 232 watersheds in France. The comparison of two ensemble-based techniques shows that accurate routing store estimates benefit the DA-based IC estimation, with the EnKF outperforming the PF in forecasting meteorological uncertainty.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kalliopi Artemis Voudouri, Maria Margarita Ntona, Nerantzis Kazakis
Summary: This study aims to analyze the time series of snow parameters in representative geographical areas of the Eastern Mediterranean and examine their seasonal variability. The satellite retrievals show increasing trends of snow water equivalent, with decreasing trends starting from 2010 until now. Similar patterns are found in the Italian study area. These results contribute to a better understanding of snow distribution and its seasonality, which is crucial for long-term groundwater management.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Yevgeniya Orlova, Raphael Linker
Summary: This study proposes a novel particle filter-based framework with sensitivity analysis embedded, which adjusts only a subset of influential parameters at each data assimilation step. The proposed framework is implemented with the AquaCrop model using synthetic data and shows improved performance compared to standard data assimilation. It reduces the normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) of canopy cover, soil water content, parameter estimations, and yield forecasts, with an overall relative improvement of 16% in NRMSE.
COMPUTERS AND ELECTRONICS IN AGRICULTURE
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Carmen Nab, Robbie Mallett, William Gregory, Jack Landy, Isobel Lawrence, Rosemary Willatt, Julienne Stroeve, Michel Tsamados
Summary: Satellite observations of sea ice freeboard are important for estimating sea ice thickness, but the assumption that radar pulses penetrate through the snow and reflect from the snow-ice interface is incorrect. We found a positive correlation between radar freeboard anomalies and modeled snow accumulation, suggesting that radar pulses do not scatter from the snow-ice interface after snowfall.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Water Resources
Yang Gao, Yufeng Dai, Wei Yang, Tao Che, Tandong Yao
Summary: This study aims to develop a model capable of obtaining snow bulk density and snow water equivalent on the Tibetan Plateau based on nearly four decades of simultaneously measured snow depth and snow water equivalent. The newly introduced factor, snow cover duration, combined with snow depth, can accurately simulate snow bulk density and estimate snow water equivalent. This method improves the underestimation of snow water volume caused by the widely used regional average density and enhances the ability to assess snow water resources on the plateau.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY-REGIONAL STUDIES
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Jinmei Pan, Jianwei Yang, Lingmei Jiang, Chuan Xiong, Fangbo Pan, Xiaowen Gao, Jiancheng Shi, Sheng Chang
Summary: In this study, a new method was proposed to estimate snow grain size, snow density, and snow depth (SD) using passive microwave remote sensing and a physical snow process model. The results showed that the root mean-squared error (RMSE) of the estimated SD was 12.4 cm at the meteorological stations. Independent validations demonstrated that our method significantly reduced the underestimation of SD and snow water equivalent (SWE) in mountainous regions compared to current satellite products.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON GEOSCIENCE AND REMOTE SENSING
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
Minh-Hai Le, Ching-Hwa Cheng, Don-Gey Liu, Thanh-Tuan Nguyen
Summary: This paper proposes an Adaptive Group of Density Outlier Removal (AGDOR) filter that can remove snow particles more effectively in raw LiDAR point clouds. The proposed filter achieves higher accuracy and faster processing speed compared to the state-of-the-art filter. However, the recall rate of AGDOR is lower.
Article
Water Resources
Hannah M. Bonner, Mark S. Raleigh, Eric E. Small
Summary: This study investigates the influence of forest canopy on snow density and snow water equivalent. Results show that forest processes have some impact on snow density and water content, with delivery effects having the greatest impact on density and mass effects and radiation effects having the greatest impact on differences in snow water equivalent between forest and open areas.
HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES
(2022)
Article
Water Resources
Hannah M. Bonner, Mark S. Raleigh, Eric E. Small
Summary: Understanding the influence of forest canopy on snowpack density and snow water equivalent is crucial for accurate model predictions. The study found that delivery effects have the greatest impact on snowpack density, while mass effects and radiation effects have the greatest impact on the differences in snow water equivalent between forest and open areas.
HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
D. M. Jaeger, A. C. M. Looze, M. S. Raleigh, B. W. Miller, J. M. Friedman, C. A. Wessman
Summary: This study used accelerometers to observe high-frequency vibrations of two urban ash trees and inferred seasonal flowering and foliage changes. The results showed that accelerometers can be an effective tool for monitoring reproductive tree biology and filling gaps in phenology observations.
AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST METEOROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Michaela Teich, Kendall M. L. Becker, Mark S. Raleigh, James A. Lutz
Summary: The duration of snow in post-fire forests is affected by the surrounding environment of trees, snags, and deadwood. Based on data collected from an old-growth, mixed-conifer forest in the Sierra Nevada, California, we calculated various tree neighborhood metrics to analyze the relationship between snow duration and factors such as tree density, litter density, and solar radiation. We found that the presence of large-diameter snags within 10 meters of a sampling point increased snow depth, while the density of large-diameter trees within 5 meters and the amount of litter were associated with shorter snow duration. However, the existence of live trees with diameters greater than 60 cm within 10 meters of a snow disappearance sampling point extended the duration of spring snowpack.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Eric J. Smyth, Mark S. Raleigh, Eric E. Small
Summary: Intermittent snow depth observations can be improved with data assimilation, specifically with the implementation of a particle filter technique. This technique reduces errors in snow depth, density, and snow water equivalent at forest locations. The assimilation process also considers the impact of forest canopy on snow accumulation and melt. The study highlights the importance of accurate measurement, estimation, or calibration of canopy-related parameters, which can be reduced through data assimilation.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mark S. Raleigh, Ethan D. Gutmann, John T. Van Stan, Sean P. Burns, Peter D. Blanken, Eric E. Small
Summary: This study examines the use of monitoring tree sway to detect snow interception and quantify canopy snow water equivalent (SWE). The researchers found that larger changes in tree sway were generally not attributed to thermal effects, and the presence of canopy snow was correlated with total snowstorm amounts.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hannah M. Bonner, Eric Smyth, Mark S. Raleigh, Eric E. Small
Summary: This study presents meteorology and snow observation data collected in the southwestern Colorado Rocky Mountains over three water years with different amounts of snow water equivalent accumulation. The dataset focuses on open-forest sites in a continental snow climate and includes measurements of snow pits, snow depth, and meteorological variables. The data is available for download and can be used to improve model representation of snow processes.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Liza J. Wernicke, Clara C. Chew, Eric E. Small, Narendra N. Das
Summary: This study developed an algorithm to downscale the SMAP data using CYGNSS reflectivity data in order to reveal the spatial details of the SMAP data. The 3 km SMAP/CYGNSS TBs are more spatially heterogeneous than the 9 km SMAP TBs and capture the expected NSSM patterns.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Cameron Wobus, Eric Small, Jared C. Carbone, Parthkumar Modi, Hannah Kamen, William Szafranski, Ben Livneh
Summary: Water allocation is governed by complex water laws in many parts of the world, including the western United States. However, these laws may not maximize economic value across the entire economy. A study using a simplified MATLAB model found that the total economic value generated from water-dependent users depends primarily on the total water available in the system. Economic value is not necessarily maximized when all water is allocated to the user with the highest willingness to pay (WTP). Instead, it depends on the amount of water available, the relative WTP between users, and the return flows generated from each sector's water use.
Article
Geography, Physical
Timbo Stillinger, Karl Rittger, Mark S. Raleigh, Alex Michell, Robert E. Davis, Edward H. Bair
Summary: This study validates snow cover mapping algorithms using high-resolution aerial laser scanner snow depth maps and compares the performance of different algorithms under forest canopies or at the meter scale. The results show that spectral-unmixing methods have lower classification and root-mean-square errors and higher accuracy compared to the band ratio approach used by MODIS.
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Melissa L. Wrzesien, Sujay Kumar, Carrie Vuyovich, Ethan D. Gutmann, Rhae Sung Kim, Barton A. Forman, Michael Durand, Mark S. Raleigh, Ryan Webb, Paul Houser
Summary: This study uses model calibration tools to improve snow simulations in the Noah-MP LSM, resulting in more accurate spatial estimates of snow water equivalent and runoff. The calibrated simulations show better agreement with observed data and improved timing of snowmelt. Additionally, spatially distributed calibrated parameters outperform default uniform values.
JOURNAL OF HYDROMETEOROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Water Resources
Hannah M. Bonner, Mark S. Raleigh, Eric E. Small
Summary: This study investigates the influence of forest canopy on snow density and snow water equivalent. Results show that forest processes have some impact on snow density and water content, with delivery effects having the greatest impact on density and mass effects and radiation effects having the greatest impact on differences in snow water equivalent between forest and open areas.
HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES
(2022)