Snow depth variability in the Northern Hemisphere mountains observed from space

Hans Lievens (), Matthias Demuzere, Hans-Peter Marshall, Rolf H. Reichle, Ludovic Brucker, Isis Brangers, Patricia de Rosnay, Marie Dumont, Manuela Girotto, Walter W. Immerzeel, Tobias Jonas, Edward J. Kim, Inka Koch, Christoph Marty, Tuomo Saloranta, Johannes Schöber and Gabrielle J. M. De Lannoy
Additional contact information
Hans Lievens: KU Leuven
Matthias Demuzere: Ghent University
Hans-Peter Marshall: Boise State University
Rolf H. Reichle: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Ludovic Brucker: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Isis Brangers: KU Leuven
Patricia de Rosnay: European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts
Marie Dumont: Université Grenoble Alpes, Université de Toulouse, Météo-France, Grenoble, France, CNRS, CNRM, Centre d’Etudes de la Neige
Manuela Girotto: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Walter W. Immerzeel: Utrecht University
Tobias Jonas: WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF
Edward J. Kim: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Inka Koch: International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
Christoph Marty: WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF
Tuomo Saloranta: Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate NVE
Johannes Schöber: TIWAG, Tiroler Wasserkraft AG
Gabrielle J. M. De Lannoy: KU Leuven

Nature Communications, 2019, vol. 10, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract Accurate snow depth observations are critical to assess water resources. More than a billion people rely on water from snow, most of which originates in the Northern Hemisphere mountain ranges. Yet, remote sensing observations of mountain snow depth are still lacking at the large scale. Here, we show the ability of Sentinel-1 to map snow depth in the Northern Hemisphere mountains at 1 km² resolution using an empirical change detection approach. An evaluation with measurements from ~4000 sites and reanalysis data demonstrates that the Sentinel-1 retrievals capture the spatial variability between and within mountain ranges, as well as their inter-annual differences. This is showcased with the contrasting snow depths between 2017 and 2018 in the US Sierra Nevada and European Alps. With Sentinel-1 continuity ensured until 2030 and likely beyond, these findings lay a foundation for quantifying the long-term vulnerability of mountain snow-water resources to climate change.

Date: 2019
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12566-y

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