Monitoring Physical Snow Properties in Alpine Regions using Multisensor Data

The seasonal snow cover is an important resource in mountain regions such as the Alps, the monitoring of which is crucial for hydrology and water management. We present a portfolio of homogenized products of physical snow properties including snow extent, melt extent and state, and snow mass. The al...

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Main Authors: Nagler, Thomas, Schwaizer, Gabriele, Felbauer, Lucia, Molg, Nico, Keuris, Lars, Hetzenecker, Markus, Nemec, Johanna, Rott, Helmut, Volden, Espen
Format: Conference Proceeding
Language:English
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Summary:The seasonal snow cover is an important resource in mountain regions such as the Alps, the monitoring of which is crucial for hydrology and water management. We present a portfolio of homogenized products of physical snow properties including snow extent, melt extent and state, and snow mass. The algorithm for monitoring snow extent exploits the available spectral bands of optical sensors and accounts for variations of illumination in mountains. It generates consistent snow products from different optical sensors supporting the combined use of the products. SAR data are used for monitoring the melt extent and state of the snowpack. We intercompared three algorithms in Alpine areas that are based on change detection and assessed the performance. For retrieving snow accumulation SAR interferometry is a promising tool. The procedure has been tested in the Alps using C- and L-Band SAR airborne and satellite data. Performance and critical issues have been checked in the context of field campaigns. These activities support preparations for snow mass monitoring by means of future interferometric missions.
ISSN:2153-7003
DOI:10.1109/IGARSS53475.2024.10640633