Morphological indexes to describe snow-cover patterns in a high-alpine area
The spatiotemporal distribution of snow affects hydrological and climatological processes at different scales. Accordingly, quantifying geometric features of snow-cover patterns is important, providing a valuable complement for snow water equivalent (SWE) modelling. This study on satellite-based mor...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
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| Series: | Annals of Glaciology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0260305523000629/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1797650376849096704 |
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| author | Lucia Ferrarin Karsten Schulz Daniele Bocchiola Franziska Koch |
| author_facet | Lucia Ferrarin Karsten Schulz Daniele Bocchiola Franziska Koch |
| author_sort | Lucia Ferrarin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The spatiotemporal distribution of snow affects hydrological and climatological processes at different scales. Accordingly, quantifying geometric features of snow-cover patterns is important, providing a valuable complement for snow water equivalent (SWE) modelling. This study on satellite-based morphological analysis originally uses two types of geometric indexes: (1) MN, Minkowski numbers (area (MN1), perimeter (MN2), Euler number (MN3)), and (2) CL, average chord length, to describe the morphology of Sentinel-2-derived snow-covered areas (SCAs), within the high-alpine site Zugspitze for a 5 year period. Results indicate that they capture the seasonal variability of snow-cover patterns, particularly during accumulation and ablation. Being to some degree independent from each other, MN2, MN3 and CL provide additional information upon shape, connectivity and length scale of snow cover, compared to most used indexes (e.g. fractional SCA). Correlation values up to +0.7 for MN2, +0.58 for MN3 and +0.46 for CL were observed with selected topographic characteristics, suggesting a close connection between geometric features of snow cover and ground features. Comparing in situ SWE measurements with MN and CL shows a correlation between −0.5 and +0.5. These indexes can hence be applied in combination with in situ data and/or modelling approaches to improve spatially distributed SWE in high-alpine catchments. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T15:59:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ead38be2c32d4859841c503f677b2a9c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0260-3055 1727-5644 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T15:59:23Z |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Annals of Glaciology |
| spelling | doaj.art-ead38be2c32d4859841c503f677b2a9c2023-10-25T08:22:49ZengCambridge University PressAnnals of Glaciology0260-30551727-564411210.1017/aog.2023.62Morphological indexes to describe snow-cover patterns in a high-alpine areaLucia Ferrarin0https://orcid.org/0009-0007-2663-5177Karsten Schulz1Daniele Bocchiola2Franziska Koch3Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile e Ambientale (DICA), Politecnico di Milano, L. da Vinci, 32, 20133 Milano, ItalyInstitute of Hydrology and Water Management (HyWa), BOKU University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, AustriaDipartimento di Ingegneria Civile e Ambientale (DICA), Politecnico di Milano, L. da Vinci, 32, 20133 Milano, ItalyInstitute of Hydrology and Water Management (HyWa), BOKU University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, AustriaThe spatiotemporal distribution of snow affects hydrological and climatological processes at different scales. Accordingly, quantifying geometric features of snow-cover patterns is important, providing a valuable complement for snow water equivalent (SWE) modelling. This study on satellite-based morphological analysis originally uses two types of geometric indexes: (1) MN, Minkowski numbers (area (MN1), perimeter (MN2), Euler number (MN3)), and (2) CL, average chord length, to describe the morphology of Sentinel-2-derived snow-covered areas (SCAs), within the high-alpine site Zugspitze for a 5 year period. Results indicate that they capture the seasonal variability of snow-cover patterns, particularly during accumulation and ablation. Being to some degree independent from each other, MN2, MN3 and CL provide additional information upon shape, connectivity and length scale of snow cover, compared to most used indexes (e.g. fractional SCA). Correlation values up to +0.7 for MN2, +0.58 for MN3 and +0.46 for CL were observed with selected topographic characteristics, suggesting a close connection between geometric features of snow cover and ground features. Comparing in situ SWE measurements with MN and CL shows a correlation between −0.5 and +0.5. These indexes can hence be applied in combination with in situ data and/or modelling approaches to improve spatially distributed SWE in high-alpine catchments.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0260305523000629/type/journal_articleAccumulationremote sensingsnow |
| spellingShingle | Lucia Ferrarin Karsten Schulz Daniele Bocchiola Franziska Koch Morphological indexes to describe snow-cover patterns in a high-alpine area Annals of Glaciology Accumulation remote sensing snow |
| title | Morphological indexes to describe snow-cover patterns in a high-alpine area |
| title_full | Morphological indexes to describe snow-cover patterns in a high-alpine area |
| title_fullStr | Morphological indexes to describe snow-cover patterns in a high-alpine area |
| title_full_unstemmed | Morphological indexes to describe snow-cover patterns in a high-alpine area |
| title_short | Morphological indexes to describe snow-cover patterns in a high-alpine area |
| title_sort | morphological indexes to describe snow cover patterns in a high alpine area |
| topic | Accumulation remote sensing snow |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0260305523000629/type/journal_article |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT luciaferrarin morphologicalindexestodescribesnowcoverpatternsinahighalpinearea AT karstenschulz morphologicalindexestodescribesnowcoverpatternsinahighalpinearea AT danielebocchiola morphologicalindexestodescribesnowcoverpatternsinahighalpinearea AT franziskakoch morphologicalindexestodescribesnowcoverpatternsinahighalpinearea |