@article {JRN54968, title = {Water storage in mountain basins from satellite snow cover monitoring }, journal = {Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems for Design and Operation of Water Resources Systems}, year = {1997}, month = {04/1997}, pages = {83-91}, chapter = {83}, abstract = {

The average areal water equivalent of the seasonal snow cover on 1 April in the basin of the Rio Grande at Del Norte, Colorado (3419 km3, 2432-4215 m a.s.l.) is evaluated from periodical snow cover mapping by Landsat. A dry, near-average and wet hydrological year are examined. Snow reserves in terms of water storage volumes are computed in three elevation zones for actual temperatures and for a projected climate change of +4{\textdegree}C. The decrease of snow accumulation in a warmer climate results in a significant increase of the winter runoff and a corresponding decrease of the summer runoff. The computed winter/summer proportions change from 24/76\% to 29/71\% in dry year 1977, from 13/87\% to 28/72\% in the average year 1976, and from 7.5/92.5\% to 12/88\% the wet year 1979. An assessment of the seasonal recession from winter to summer reveals that the actual climate effect is even greater.

}, url = {files/bibliography/Rango1997-02.pdf}, author = {A. Rango and J. Martinec} }