Application of snowmelt runoff model (SRM) in upper Songhuajiang Basin using MODIS remote sensing data

The snowmelt runoff model (SRM) is used to simulate streamflow from snowmelt in the Er'dao-Songhua basin of upper Songhuajiang basin from March to August in 2010. The basin is divided into three elevation zones based on SRTM DEM data. MODIS flexible snow cover products (MODISMC) are generated form daily Terra/Aqua products and used as snow cover area input for SRM model. The precipitation and temperature data from climate station are interpolated by Kriging methods to calculate daily average precipitation and temperature for each zone. SRM model is forced by three variables and eight parameters considering the physical and hydrological feature of study area. Results show that the peak of snowmelt runoff comes in the middle of April and the end of May. The Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient of determination (R
²
) and deviation of the runoff volumes (D
_v
) is 0.57 and 25.59% respectively. The model errors are mainly caused by ignoring the physical process of snowmelt and lacking enough in-situ materials.