Monitoring alpine snow cover variations using NOAA-AVHRR data

The present discussion of climate change leads to the question of the influence of temperature and precipitation changes on the alpine snow cover patterns and the consecutive snowmelt runoff. The monitoring of snow cover variations in the European Alps is performed using digital NOAA-AVHRR data. Satellite image processing, geographic information system analyses, database management, and snowmelt runoff modelling with the Snowmelt Runoff Model (SRM) were used for quantifying snow cover variations and snowmelt runoff. All these different procedures are integrated into the Alpine Snow Cover Analysis System (ASCAS) allowing efficiently to monitor the ongoing changes.<
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