Remote sensing applications in snow hydrology-past, present and future

Recent advancement of spaceborne remote sensor systems provides much needed information to retrieve important parameters of snow hydrology. Considerable effort, accompanied by significant results, has been reported. These activities take advantage of certain characteristics of remote sensing data such as synoptic viewing, repetitive coverage, relative low cost and real time data acquisition. The Landsat and NOAA environmental satellite systems have provided many observations that are proving to have utility in monitoring snow coverage area. Research being carried out now also suggests that micowave observations may be able to monitor more fundamental variables needed by the water resources managers. Snowcovered area and snow water equivalent retrieved from microwave data obtained by Nimbus-7 Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR) compare favorably with ground observations.