Intercomparison of snow water equivalent products in the Sierra Nevada California using airborne snow observatory data and ground observations
Whereas many independent methods are used to estimate snow water equivalent (SWE) and its spatial distribution and seasonal variability, a need exists for a systematic characterization of inter-model differences at annual, seasonal, and regional scales necessary to quantify the associated uncertaint...
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| Format: | Article |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Earth Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2023.1106621/full |
| _version_ | 1797797759557828608 |
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| author | Kehan Yang Kehan Yang Kehan Yang Kehan Yang Karl Rittger Karl Rittger Keith N. Musselman Edward H. Bair Jeff Dozier Steven A. Margulis Thomas H. Painter Noah P. Molotch Noah P. Molotch Noah P. Molotch |
| author_facet | Kehan Yang Kehan Yang Kehan Yang Kehan Yang Karl Rittger Karl Rittger Keith N. Musselman Edward H. Bair Jeff Dozier Steven A. Margulis Thomas H. Painter Noah P. Molotch Noah P. Molotch Noah P. Molotch |
| author_sort | Kehan Yang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Whereas many independent methods are used to estimate snow water equivalent (SWE) and its spatial distribution and seasonal variability, a need exists for a systematic characterization of inter-model differences at annual, seasonal, and regional scales necessary to quantify the associated uncertainty in these datasets. This study conducts a multi-scale validation and comparison, based on Airborne Snow Observatory data, of five state-of-the-art SWE datasets in the Sierra Nevada, California, including three SWE datasets from retrospective models: an INiTial REConstruction model (REC-INT), an improved REConstruction model based on the ParBal energy balance model (REC-ParBal), and a Sierra Nevada SWE REConstruction with Data Assimilation (REC-DA), and two operational SWE datasets from the U.S. National Weather Service, including the Snow Data Assimilation System (SNODAS) and the National Water Model (NWM-SWE). The results show that REC-DA and REC-ParBal provide the two most accurate estimates of SWE in the snowmelt season, both with small positive biases. REC-DA provides the most accurate spatial distribution of SWE (R2 = 0.87, MAE = 66 mm, PBIAS = 8.3%) at the pixel scale, while REC-ParBal has the least basin-wide PBIAS (R2 = 0.79, MAE = 73 mm, PBIAS = 4.1%) in the snowmelt season. Moreover, REC-DA underestimates peak SWE by −5.8%, while REC-ParBal overestimates it by 7.5%, when compared with the measured peak SWE at snow pillow stations across the Sierra Nevada. The two operational SWE products—SNODAS and NWM-SWE—are less accurate. Furthermore, the inter-model comparison reveals a certain amount of disagreement in snow water storage across time and space between SWE datasets. This study advances our understanding of regional SWE uncertainties and provides critical insights to support future applications of these SWE data products and therefore has broad implications for water resources management and hydrological process studies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T03:54:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c39a251dd0bd401e824cb10dedf9fc41 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-6463 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T03:54:12Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Earth Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-c39a251dd0bd401e824cb10dedf9fc412023-06-22T09:00:42ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Earth Science2296-64632023-06-011110.3389/feart.2023.11066211106621Intercomparison of snow water equivalent products in the Sierra Nevada California using airborne snow observatory data and ground observationsKehan Yang0Kehan Yang1Kehan Yang2Kehan Yang3Karl Rittger4Karl Rittger5Keith N. Musselman6Edward H. Bair7Jeff Dozier8Steven A. Margulis9Thomas H. Painter10Noah P. Molotch11Noah P. Molotch12Noah P. Molotch13Department of Geography, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United StatesInstitute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United StatesDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United StateseScience Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United StatesInstitute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United StatesEarth Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United StatesInstitute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United StatesEarth Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United StatesBren School of Environmental Science & Management, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United StatesDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United StatesJoint Institute for Regional Earth System Science and Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United StatesDepartment of Geography, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United StatesInstitute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United StatesJet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, La Cañada Flintridge, CA, United StatesWhereas many independent methods are used to estimate snow water equivalent (SWE) and its spatial distribution and seasonal variability, a need exists for a systematic characterization of inter-model differences at annual, seasonal, and regional scales necessary to quantify the associated uncertainty in these datasets. This study conducts a multi-scale validation and comparison, based on Airborne Snow Observatory data, of five state-of-the-art SWE datasets in the Sierra Nevada, California, including three SWE datasets from retrospective models: an INiTial REConstruction model (REC-INT), an improved REConstruction model based on the ParBal energy balance model (REC-ParBal), and a Sierra Nevada SWE REConstruction with Data Assimilation (REC-DA), and two operational SWE datasets from the U.S. National Weather Service, including the Snow Data Assimilation System (SNODAS) and the National Water Model (NWM-SWE). The results show that REC-DA and REC-ParBal provide the two most accurate estimates of SWE in the snowmelt season, both with small positive biases. REC-DA provides the most accurate spatial distribution of SWE (R2 = 0.87, MAE = 66 mm, PBIAS = 8.3%) at the pixel scale, while REC-ParBal has the least basin-wide PBIAS (R2 = 0.79, MAE = 73 mm, PBIAS = 4.1%) in the snowmelt season. Moreover, REC-DA underestimates peak SWE by −5.8%, while REC-ParBal overestimates it by 7.5%, when compared with the measured peak SWE at snow pillow stations across the Sierra Nevada. The two operational SWE products—SNODAS and NWM-SWE—are less accurate. Furthermore, the inter-model comparison reveals a certain amount of disagreement in snow water storage across time and space between SWE datasets. This study advances our understanding of regional SWE uncertainties and provides critical insights to support future applications of these SWE data products and therefore has broad implications for water resources management and hydrological process studies.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2023.1106621/fullsnow water equivalentdata evaluationairborne remote sensingmountain snowpackwater availability |
| spellingShingle | Kehan Yang Kehan Yang Kehan Yang Kehan Yang Karl Rittger Karl Rittger Keith N. Musselman Edward H. Bair Jeff Dozier Steven A. Margulis Thomas H. Painter Noah P. Molotch Noah P. Molotch Noah P. Molotch Intercomparison of snow water equivalent products in the Sierra Nevada California using airborne snow observatory data and ground observations Frontiers in Earth Science snow water equivalent data evaluation airborne remote sensing mountain snowpack water availability |
| title | Intercomparison of snow water equivalent products in the Sierra Nevada California using airborne snow observatory data and ground observations |
| title_full | Intercomparison of snow water equivalent products in the Sierra Nevada California using airborne snow observatory data and ground observations |
| title_fullStr | Intercomparison of snow water equivalent products in the Sierra Nevada California using airborne snow observatory data and ground observations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Intercomparison of snow water equivalent products in the Sierra Nevada California using airborne snow observatory data and ground observations |
| title_short | Intercomparison of snow water equivalent products in the Sierra Nevada California using airborne snow observatory data and ground observations |
| title_sort | intercomparison of snow water equivalent products in the sierra nevada california using airborne snow observatory data and ground observations |
| topic | snow water equivalent data evaluation airborne remote sensing mountain snowpack water availability |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2023.1106621/full |
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