Snow Cover on the Tibetan Plateau and Topographic Controls
Snow cover plays a critical role in global energy and water cycles. Snow cover on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) provides vital water sources in western China and Himalayan regions, in addition to its weather and climate significance. The massive high mountain topography of the TP is the main condition fo...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Remote Sensing |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/15/16/4044 |
| _version_ | 1797583322673577984 |
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| author | Duo Chu Linshan Liu Zhaofeng Wang |
| author_facet | Duo Chu Linshan Liu Zhaofeng Wang |
| author_sort | Duo Chu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Snow cover plays a critical role in global energy and water cycles. Snow cover on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) provides vital water sources in western China and Himalayan regions, in addition to its weather and climate significance. The massive high mountain topography of the TP is the main condition for the presence and persistence of snow cover on the plateau at the mid-low latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere (NH). However, how the mountain topography controls snow-cover distribution on the TP remains largely unclear, and the relationship is not well quantified. Here, the spatial distribution and the topographic controls of snow cover on the TP are examined based on snow cover frequency (SCF) derived from MODIS snow cover product (MOD10A2 v005) and digital elevation model (DEM) data. The results show that snow cover on the TP is spatially unevenly distributed, and that it is characterized by rich snow and high SCF on the interior and the surrounding high mountain ranges, with less snow and low SCF in inland basins and river valleys. Snow cover on the TP presents elevation dependence: the higher the altitude, the higher the SCF, the longer the snow cover duration, and the more stable the intra-annual variation. The annual mean SCF below 3000 m above sea level (m a.s.l) is less than 4%, and it reaches 77% above 6000 m a.s.l. The intra-annual snow cover variation below 4000 m a.s.l features a unimodal distribution, while above 4000 m a.s.l it presents a bimodal distribution. The mean minimum SCF below 6000 m a.s.l occurs in summer, while above 6000 m a.s.l it occurs in winter. Due to differences in solar radiation and moisture condition caused by the mountain slope and aspect, the mean SCF generally increases with mountain slopes, and it is the highest on the north-facing aspect and the lowest on the south-facing aspect. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T23:36:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-17c21324ea0b4380a0efb19deaa96db4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T23:36:18Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj.art-17c21324ea0b4380a0efb19deaa96db42023-11-19T02:53:46ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922023-08-011516404410.3390/rs15164044Snow Cover on the Tibetan Plateau and Topographic ControlsDuo Chu0Linshan Liu1Zhaofeng Wang2Tibet Institute of Plateau Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, Tibet Meteorological Bureau, Lhasa 850000, ChinaKey Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, ChinaKey Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, ChinaSnow cover plays a critical role in global energy and water cycles. Snow cover on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) provides vital water sources in western China and Himalayan regions, in addition to its weather and climate significance. The massive high mountain topography of the TP is the main condition for the presence and persistence of snow cover on the plateau at the mid-low latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere (NH). However, how the mountain topography controls snow-cover distribution on the TP remains largely unclear, and the relationship is not well quantified. Here, the spatial distribution and the topographic controls of snow cover on the TP are examined based on snow cover frequency (SCF) derived from MODIS snow cover product (MOD10A2 v005) and digital elevation model (DEM) data. The results show that snow cover on the TP is spatially unevenly distributed, and that it is characterized by rich snow and high SCF on the interior and the surrounding high mountain ranges, with less snow and low SCF in inland basins and river valleys. Snow cover on the TP presents elevation dependence: the higher the altitude, the higher the SCF, the longer the snow cover duration, and the more stable the intra-annual variation. The annual mean SCF below 3000 m above sea level (m a.s.l) is less than 4%, and it reaches 77% above 6000 m a.s.l. The intra-annual snow cover variation below 4000 m a.s.l features a unimodal distribution, while above 4000 m a.s.l it presents a bimodal distribution. The mean minimum SCF below 6000 m a.s.l occurs in summer, while above 6000 m a.s.l it occurs in winter. Due to differences in solar radiation and moisture condition caused by the mountain slope and aspect, the mean SCF generally increases with mountain slopes, and it is the highest on the north-facing aspect and the lowest on the south-facing aspect.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/15/16/4044MODIS snow coverDEMtopographic elementsTibetan Plateau |
| spellingShingle | Duo Chu Linshan Liu Zhaofeng Wang Snow Cover on the Tibetan Plateau and Topographic Controls Remote Sensing MODIS snow cover DEM topographic elements Tibetan Plateau |
| title | Snow Cover on the Tibetan Plateau and Topographic Controls |
| title_full | Snow Cover on the Tibetan Plateau and Topographic Controls |
| title_fullStr | Snow Cover on the Tibetan Plateau and Topographic Controls |
| title_full_unstemmed | Snow Cover on the Tibetan Plateau and Topographic Controls |
| title_short | Snow Cover on the Tibetan Plateau and Topographic Controls |
| title_sort | snow cover on the tibetan plateau and topographic controls |
| topic | MODIS snow cover DEM topographic elements Tibetan Plateau |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/15/16/4044 |
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