Research Approach

Introduction

MODIS SNOW DATA is gotten from the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs). The data includes Snow Cover Daily Tile, Snow Albedo Daily Tile, and Fractional Snow Cover (MODIS/Terra Snow Cover Daily L3 Global 500m Grid and MODIS/Aqua Snow Cover Daily L3 Global 500m Grid). The data document is available at http://nsidc.org/data/modis/data.html. MODIS Reprojection Tool (MRT) is used to reproject the data. MRT is available at the Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (LP DAAC), http://lpdaac.usgs.gov/landdaac/tools/modis/index.asp. The data is daily updated and has ~2 days time lag.

The MODIS snow data is "directly inserted" into the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) Macroscale Hydrologic Model simulation and embed the UW West-wide Seasonal Hydrologic Forecast System.

MODIS Surface Temperature data is obtained from MODIS/Terra Land Surface Temperature/Emissivity Daily L3 Global 1km SIN Grid V005 (MOD11A1) data and compared with VIC model results.

Approach

The approach is performed in the Western United States. The land surface simulations are implemented at 1/8 degree resolution, using the West-wide forecast system VIC model parameters. The lag time for these plots is currently about 1 day. The MODIS snow data is updated in the subgrid scale - 0.01 degree resolution. The lag time for MODIS data is currently about 2 days.

References

1. NSIDC Website: http://nsidc.org/data/modis/data.html
2. UW Western U.S. Website: http://www.hydro.washington.edu/forecast/westwide/spatial/ncast/index.shtml
3. UW VIC Model Website: http://www.hydro.washington.edu/Lettenmaier/Models/VIC/VIChome.html