Tracking 21st century climate dynamics of the Third Pole: An analysis of topo-climate impacts on snow cover in the central Himalaya using Google Earth Engine
Research on the Himalayan cryosphere has increasingly focused on climate change, considering aspects such as snow cover dynamics, precipitation and temperature trends. The Uttarakhand Himalaya is hydrologically very significant and a more comprehensive understanding of its response to climate change...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2021-12-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Applied Earth Observations and Geoinformation |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0303243421001975 |
| _version_ | 1818233035568447488 |
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| author | Abhishek Banerjee Ruishan Chen Michael E. Meadows Dhritiraj Sengupta Shray Pathak Zilong Xia Suraj Mal |
| author_facet | Abhishek Banerjee Ruishan Chen Michael E. Meadows Dhritiraj Sengupta Shray Pathak Zilong Xia Suraj Mal |
| author_sort | Abhishek Banerjee |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Research on the Himalayan cryosphere has increasingly focused on climate change, considering aspects such as snow cover dynamics, precipitation and temperature trends. The Uttarakhand Himalaya is hydrologically very significant and a more comprehensive understanding of its response to climate change is needed. This paper analyses of elevation-dependent distribution and trends in snow-covered area (SCA), precipitation and temperature for the period 2000–2020 employing MODIS-Terra data, together with reanalysis (CHIRPS) and Landsat-8 data products within the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform. The study reveals a significant increasing trend in annual, seasonal and monthly precipitation (except November) at different elevations, while SCA and temperatures exhibited more variable trends during the period. Digital elevation and spectral reflectance models reveal the effects of topography and surface attributes on snow cover. Statistical analyses reveal a significant relationship between precipitation and SCA (R2 = 0.78), while seasonal changes in temperature are apparent in an emerging pattern of warmer winters and a cooler pre-monsoon. SCA trends vary markedly between elevation zones in response to precipitation and temperature fluctuations. At higher altitudes, SCA decreased from 2000 to 2020 since, although precipitation increased slightly, marginally higher temperatures led to more snowmelt. Reduced snow cover and increased temperature are also associated with a decline in downstream fluvial during the period for which such data are available (2000 to 2005). The analysis of snow cover dynamics across different elevations improves our understanding of the overall hydrological conditions in the region and enable more reliable flood forecasting and management of water resources. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T11:15:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-44c145103cf4408090d232d91ae333c8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1569-8432 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T11:15:47Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Applied Earth Observations and Geoinformation |
| spelling | doaj.art-44c145103cf4408090d232d91ae333c82022-12-22T00:26:10ZengElsevierInternational Journal of Applied Earth Observations and Geoinformation1569-84322021-12-01103102490Tracking 21st century climate dynamics of the Third Pole: An analysis of topo-climate impacts on snow cover in the central Himalaya using Google Earth EngineAbhishek Banerjee0Ruishan Chen1Michael E. Meadows2Dhritiraj Sengupta3Shray Pathak4Zilong Xia5Suraj Mal6Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science, Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Science, Institute of Eco-Chongming, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, ChinaKey Laboratory of Geographic Information Science, Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Science, Institute of Eco-Chongming, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China; Corresponding author.Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science, Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Science, Institute of Eco-Chongming, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China; Department of Environmental and Geographical Science, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7701, South Africa; College of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China; School of Geography and Oceanographic Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, ChinaKey Laboratory of Geographic Information Science, Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Science, Institute of Eco-Chongming, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, ChinaKey Laboratory of Geographic Information Science, Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Science, Institute of Eco-Chongming, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, ChinaKey Laboratory of Geographic Information Science, Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Science, Institute of Eco-Chongming, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, ChinaDepartment of Geography, Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, University of Delhi, New Delhi 110017, IndiaResearch on the Himalayan cryosphere has increasingly focused on climate change, considering aspects such as snow cover dynamics, precipitation and temperature trends. The Uttarakhand Himalaya is hydrologically very significant and a more comprehensive understanding of its response to climate change is needed. This paper analyses of elevation-dependent distribution and trends in snow-covered area (SCA), precipitation and temperature for the period 2000–2020 employing MODIS-Terra data, together with reanalysis (CHIRPS) and Landsat-8 data products within the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform. The study reveals a significant increasing trend in annual, seasonal and monthly precipitation (except November) at different elevations, while SCA and temperatures exhibited more variable trends during the period. Digital elevation and spectral reflectance models reveal the effects of topography and surface attributes on snow cover. Statistical analyses reveal a significant relationship between precipitation and SCA (R2 = 0.78), while seasonal changes in temperature are apparent in an emerging pattern of warmer winters and a cooler pre-monsoon. SCA trends vary markedly between elevation zones in response to precipitation and temperature fluctuations. At higher altitudes, SCA decreased from 2000 to 2020 since, although precipitation increased slightly, marginally higher temperatures led to more snowmelt. Reduced snow cover and increased temperature are also associated with a decline in downstream fluvial during the period for which such data are available (2000 to 2005). The analysis of snow cover dynamics across different elevations improves our understanding of the overall hydrological conditions in the region and enable more reliable flood forecasting and management of water resources.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0303243421001975Snow cover variationsPrecipitation and temperature trendsSlope and aspectSpectral reflectance modelSnow cover-Precipitation-Temperature-Discharge nexus |
| spellingShingle | Abhishek Banerjee Ruishan Chen Michael E. Meadows Dhritiraj Sengupta Shray Pathak Zilong Xia Suraj Mal Tracking 21st century climate dynamics of the Third Pole: An analysis of topo-climate impacts on snow cover in the central Himalaya using Google Earth Engine International Journal of Applied Earth Observations and Geoinformation Snow cover variations Precipitation and temperature trends Slope and aspect Spectral reflectance model Snow cover-Precipitation-Temperature-Discharge nexus |
| title | Tracking 21st century climate dynamics of the Third Pole: An analysis of topo-climate impacts on snow cover in the central Himalaya using Google Earth Engine |
| title_full | Tracking 21st century climate dynamics of the Third Pole: An analysis of topo-climate impacts on snow cover in the central Himalaya using Google Earth Engine |
| title_fullStr | Tracking 21st century climate dynamics of the Third Pole: An analysis of topo-climate impacts on snow cover in the central Himalaya using Google Earth Engine |
| title_full_unstemmed | Tracking 21st century climate dynamics of the Third Pole: An analysis of topo-climate impacts on snow cover in the central Himalaya using Google Earth Engine |
| title_short | Tracking 21st century climate dynamics of the Third Pole: An analysis of topo-climate impacts on snow cover in the central Himalaya using Google Earth Engine |
| title_sort | tracking 21st century climate dynamics of the third pole an analysis of topo climate impacts on snow cover in the central himalaya using google earth engine |
| topic | Snow cover variations Precipitation and temperature trends Slope and aspect Spectral reflectance model Snow cover-Precipitation-Temperature-Discharge nexus |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0303243421001975 |
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