Spatiotemporal dynamics of snow cover based on multi-source remote sensing data in China

Abstract

Abstract. By combining optical remote sensing snow cover products with passive microwave remote sensing snow depth (SD) data, we produced a MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) cloudless binary snow cover product and a 500 m snow depth product. The temporal and spatial variations of snow cover from December 2000 to November 2014 in China were analyzed. The results indicate that, over the past 14 years, (1) the mean snow-covered area (SCA) in China was 11.3 % annually and 27 % in the winter season, with the mean SCA decreasing in summer and winter seasons, increasing in spring and fall seasons, and not much change annually; (2) the snow-covered days (SCDs) showed an increase in winter, spring, and fall, and annually, whereas they showed a decrease in summer; (3) the average SD decreased in winter, summer, and fall, while it increased in spring and annually; (4) the spatial distributions of SD and SCD were highly correlated seasonally and annually; and (5) the regional differences in the variation of snow cover in China were significant. Overall, the SCD and SD increased significantly in south and northeast China, and decreased significantly in the north of Xinjiang province. The SCD and SD increased on the southwest edge and in the southeast part of the Tibetan Plateau, whereas it decreased in the north and northwest regions.

Effects of climate warming and prolonged snow cover on phenology of the early life history stages of four alpine herbs on the southeastern Tibetan Plateau

“…Climate data recorded by a meteorological station (Nyingchi) in southeastern Tibet showed a significant increase in the annual and seasonal mean temperatures over the last 50 years (Liang et al., ). The annual precipitation and number of spring snow‐cover days also have increased in recent decades in the southeast part of the Tibetan Plateau (Liang et al., ; Huang et al., ).…”

“…The rate of warming on the Tibetan Plateau from 1955 to 1996 (0.16°C per decade for annual mean temperature) was higher than that in other regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Like in many other alpine ecosystems, heavy spring snowstorms and increased snow‐cover days frequently occur on the southeastern Tibetan Plateau, and this trend is predicted to continue (IPCC, ; Huang et al., ). Interestingly, however, unlike the expected ‘warming and shortening of winter’ for seeds (Walck et al., ) there will be prolonged snow cover along with a warmer spring air temperature.…”

Satellite remote sensing of ecosystem functions: opportunities, challenges and way forward

“…Huang et al. () produced a MODIS snow cover product to estimate spatio‐temporal changes in snow cover across China…”

Tracking Snow Variations in the Northern Hemisphere Using Multi-Source Remote Sensing Data (2000–2015)

“…The Mann-Kendall method is a non-parametric test that has been frequently used to analyze long time series data [50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57], and the method can also detect the variation trend of monotonic nonlinear data without a data distribution requirement [58]. In this paper, the Mann-Kendall method was used to examine the trend and significance level of the annual SCDs in the Northern Hemisphere at the pixel scale.…”