10.1080/0143116YYxxxxxxxx 1366-5901 0143-1161 00 00

Research paper

Use of satellite snow-cover data for streamflow prediction in the Feather River Basin, California

Qiuhong Tang and Dennis P. Lettenmaier

Submitted for publication in International Journal of Remote Sensing

Abstract:

The MODIS/Terra daily snow cover 500 m resolution product (MOD10A1) is evaluated through comparisons with ground snow observations over the western United States. The misclassified fractions of MOD10A1 are generally lower at high elevations than at low elevations, and are lowest in the Southwest and highest in the Northwest generally following cloud cover trends. The MOD10A1 data are used to update the snow cover status in the variable infiltration capacity (VIC) hydrology model applied to the Feather River Basin, California over the 2000 to 2008 MODIS period. The effect of MODIS updating is evaluated both on retrospective simulations, and on forecasts made at twice-monthly intervals both for lead times of two weeks, and from the forecast date through the end of July. Comparisons of simulations made with and without MODIS updating of SCA showed that the greatest improvements occurred during the snow ablation season, with little to no improvement otherwise. Overall, updating of the model’s snow cover status with MODIS data reduced mean absolute errors by an average of 22% for the two-week forecasts, and 16% for the seasonal forecasts. Inclusion of MODIS data reduced forecast errors in 70% of the two-week forecasts and 85% of the seasonal forecasts in the ablation period.