Snow cover locations are identified using radiance data from the Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the JPSS-1 satellite. The data set uses the Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI) and quality control screens to report snow cover. It is provided by the NSIDC_CPRD organization via the NASA Earthdata platform.
Use Cases
- Monitoring seasonal snow cover extent based on NDSI-derived snow identification.
- Validating hydrological and climate models based on satellite-observed snow locations.
- Assessing changes in snowpack over time based on the VIIRS radiance data.
- Performing quality control on snow cover products based on the described screening process.
Strengths
- Data is derived from the VIIRS instrument on the JPSS-1 satellite, a specific and authoritative source.
- Snow cover is identified using the established Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI) method.
- Includes a series of quality control screens, suggesting attention to data reliability.
Limitations
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
- Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.
Provenance
- Source
- NSIDC_CPRD organization via NASA Earthdata.
- Collection Method
- Radiance data acquired by the VIIRS instrument on the JPSS-1 satellite, processed with NDSI and quality screens.
- Time Range
- null
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Likely global, based on the polar satellite system.