Observing Snow Depth at Sub-Kilometer Resolution Over the European Alps from Sentinel-1

Hans Lievens, Isis Brangers, Hans Peter Marshall, Tobias Jonas, Marc Olefs, Gabriëlle de Lannoy

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

Seasonal snow is an essential source of water, especially in mountain regions. However, accurate satellite observations of the amount of snow stored in mountains are still lacking. We provide estimates of snow depth at sub-kilometer resolution over the European Alps for 2017-2019 from Sentinel-1 observations. The retrievals are based on a change detection algorithm that includes the masking of wet snow. For dry snow conditions, 300-m Sentinel-1 retrievals have a spatiotemporal correlation of 0.82 and mean absolute error of 0.19 m compared with in situ measurements from 743 sites across the Alps. The results show the potential of Sentinel-1 to provide unprecedented snow estimates in regions with complex topography, where satellite observations of snow mass are currently lacking.

Original languageAmerican English
Title of host publicationIGARSS 2021 - 2021 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, Proceedings
PublisherInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
Pages618-621
Number of pages4
ISBN (Electronic)9781665403696
DOIs
StatePublished - 2021
Event2021 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, IGARSS 2021 - Brussels, Belgium
Duration: 12 Jul 202116 Jul 2021

Publication series

NameInternational Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS)
Volume2021-July

Conference

Conference2021 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, IGARSS 2021
Country/TerritoryBelgium
CityBrussels
Period12/07/2116/07/21

Keywords

  • European alps
  • Sentinel-1
  • Snow depth

EGS Disciplines

  • Earth Sciences
  • Geophysics and Seismology

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