Airborne Lidar Snow Depth Measurements on 3-Meter Grid

3-meter gridded snow depth data is derived from airborne light detection and ranging (lidar) measurements of surface elevations. The data were collected by NASA/JPL Airborne Snow Observatory (ASO) aircraft survey campaigns and distributed by the NSIDC_CPRD organization. The dataset was last updated in October 2019.

Use Cases

• Estimate snow water equivalent by combining snow depth grids with snow density models.
• Monitor seasonal snowpack evolution by analyzing changes in lidar-derived surface elevation over time.
• Validate and calibrate satellite-based snow depth products using high-resolution airborne lidar measurements.
• Model avalanche risk by correlating snow depth distribution with terrain features from the elevation data.

Strengths

• High-resolution 3-meter grid provides detailed spatial information on snow depth distribution.
• Data originates from the NASA/JPL Airborne Snow Observatory, a recognized scientific campaign.

Limitations

• Temporal coverage is limited to specific ASO survey campaign dates, not a continuous time series.
• Geographic coverage is restricted to the specific flight paths of the ASO aircraft surveys.
• The dataset has not been updated since 2019, limiting its use for recent conditions analysis.

Provenance

Source

NASA/JPL Airborne Snow Observatory (ASO) aircraft survey campaigns.

Collection Method

Airborne light detection and ranging (lidar) measurements of surface elevations.

Freshness

Last updated in 2019; no stated update frequency.