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MODIS Snow Cover Mapping Decision Tree Technique: Snow and Cloud DiscriminationAccurate mapping of snow cover continues to challenge cryospheric scientists and modelers. The Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) snow data products have been used since 2000 by many investigators to map and monitor snow cover extent for various applications. Users have reported on the utility of the products and also on problems encountered. Three problems or hindrances in the use of the MODIS snow data products that have been reported in the literature are: cloud obscuration, snow/cloud confusion, and snow omission errors in thin or sparse snow cover conditions. Implementation of the MODIS snow algorithm in a decision tree technique using surface reflectance input to mitigate those problems is being investigated. The objective of this work is to use a decision tree structure for the snow algorithm. This should alleviate snow/cloud confusion and omission errors and provide a snow map with classes that convey information on how snow was detected, e.g. snow under clear sky, snow tinder cloud, to enable users' flexibility in interpreting and deriving a snow map. Results of a snow cover decision tree algorithm are compared to the standard MODIS snow map and found to exhibit improved ability to alleviate snow/cloud confusion in some situations allowing up to about 5% increase in mapped snow cover extent, thus accuracy, in some scenes.
Document ID
20100033322
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Riggs, George A. (Science Systems and Applications, Inc. Lanham, MD, United States)
Hall, Dorothy K. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
August 25, 2013
Publication Date
June 8, 2010
Subject Category
Meteorology And Climatology
Meeting Information
Meeting: 67th Eastern Snow Conference
Location: Hancock, MA
Country: United States
Start Date: June 8, 2010
End Date: June 10, 2010
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.

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