Remote Sensing in Snow Hydrology: Runoff Modelling, Effect of Climate Change

Initially, the role of snow and ice in the global water balance is assessed and methods of snow measurements are explained. Remote sensing is dealt with with regard to periodical snow cover mapping. Last advances and refinements refer to spatial resolution, cloud interference and separate monitoring of snow and glacier ice. Following a review of snow melt and runoff modelling, the Snowmelt Runoff Model (SRM) demonstrates the merits of remote sensing in snow hydrology by using the satellite data as a direct input variable. Applications in over 100 mountain basins around the world are documented, with surface areas ranging from 0.3 km2 to 900.000 km2. Based on runoff modelling, runoff forecasts are dealt with including seasonal and short term forecasts as well as computation of hydrographs from forecasted temperatures and precipitation. The climate change is becoming a major concern of our times. The effect of various climate scenarios on the seasonal snow cover and runoff is evaluated by the updated computer program which also enable the real-time runoff forecasts to be improved. As a final note, a method is outlined to predict the decline of glaciers in the warming climate.

In recent years, global warming has come to the forefront of research into climate change and part of the investigations involve the impact of alterations in snow hydrology. New advances in technology, especially that of remote sensing, mean that it is now possible to predict future changes of snow coverage and snow melt (RSRM) runoff and their impact on our environment.

Remote Sensing in  Snow Hydrology is the result of 30 years' cooperation between the disciplines of remote sensing and snow hydrology. The book

. provides an assessmant of the role of snow and ice in the global water balance

. discusses different methods of snow measurement and the analysis of statistics to

  evaluate the average return period of extreme conditions

. shows by mathematical modelling how future snow-melt runoff can be computed

. lists the applications of SRM in excess of 100 basins worldwide.