Application of airborne gamma radiation snow survey measurements and snow cover modeling in river and flood forecasting
Title | Application of airborne gamma radiation snow survey measurements and snow cover modeling in river and flood forecasting |
Publication Type | Conference Proceedings |
Year of Conference | 1981 |
Authors | Carroll, T. R., and Larson L. W. |
Conference Name | 49th Annual Western Snow Conference |
Series Title | Proceedings of the 49th Annual Western Snow Conference |
Date Published | April 1981 |
Publisher | Western Snow Conference |
Conference Location | St. George, Utah |
Keywords | Airborne snow survey, Flood forecasting, Gamma radiation, River forecasting, Snow melt modeling |
Abstract | The National Weather Service (NWS) has hydrologic forecasting reponsibilities for the United States. Two major technical procedures have recently been developed and implemented by the NWS to facilitate river and flood forecasting in large areas of the upper Midwest subject to extensive winter snow accumulation. First, a temperature based snow model is used to represent the physical processes associated with the accumulation and ablation of a snowpack and to simulate snow cover characteristics over much of the upper Midwest. Second, the implementation of an operational Airborne Gamma Radiation Snow Survey Program provides observed snow water equivalent data for large areas of the upper Midwest. A discussion of the snow accumulation and ablation model and its application to the NWS River Forecasting Procedure is given. In addition, the theory, application, capability, and limitation of the airborne gamma radiation attenuation technique are discussed. |
URL | sites/westernsnowconference.org/PDFs/1981Carroll.pdf |