Snow depth maps with a spatial resolution of 0.5 meters are derived from images captured by a Vexcel Ultracam camera mounted on a piloted airplane. The maps are calculated by subtracting a summer digital terrain model from a winter digital surface model, with extensive masking applied to increase reliability. The dataset is published by ENVIDAT and hosted on NASA EarthData, with accuracy assessments showing a root mean square error of 0.25 m for 2017 and 0.15 m for subsequent years.
Use Cases
- Modeling seasonal snow water equivalent based on high-resolution snow depth maps.
- Validating satellite-derived snow cover products using the 0.5 m resolution ground truth.
- Assessing the impact of terrain and vegetation on snow accumulation based on the masked land cover data.
- Calibrating hydrological runoff forecasts using the annual peak winter snow depth measurements.
Strengths
- Spatial resolution is 0.5 meters.
- Accuracy assessment shows a root mean square error of 0.25 m for 2017 and 0.15 m for following years.
- Multiple reliability masks are applied, including for settled areas, high vegetation, and unrealistic values exceeding 10 m.
Limitations
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Last updated 2022-01-01 00:00:00; freshness should be verified.
- Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
Provenance
- Source
- ENVIDAT
- Collection Method
- Snow depth maps derived from airborne photogrammetry using a Vexcel Ultracam camera, calculated by subtracting a summer DTM from a winter DSM.
- Time Range
- 2017 - ongoing