Snow Cover Maps from MODIS Images at 250 m Resolution, Part 2: Validation

• Main Authors: Marc Zebisch, Christian Steurer, Armin Costa, Roberto Monsorno, Thomas Schellenberger, Anke Tetzlaff, Martial Duguay, Nico Moelg, Claudia Notarnicola
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2013-03-01
• Series: Remote Sensing
• Subjects: MODIS; snow; snow covered area; Landsat; in situ snow depth
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/5/4/1568

The performance of a new algorithm for binary snow cover monitoring based on Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite images at 250 m resolution is validated using snow cover maps (SCA) based on Landsat 7 ETM+ images and in situ snow depth measurements from ground stations in selected test sites in Central Europe. The advantages of the proposed algorithm are the improved ground resolution of 250 m and the near real-time availability with respect to the 500 m standard National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) MODIS snow products (MOD10 and MYD10). It allows a more accurate snow cover monitoring at a local scale, especially in mountainous areas characterized by large landscape heterogeneity. The near real-time delivery makes the product valuable as input for hydrological models, e.g., for flood forecast. A comparison to sixteen snow cover maps derived from Landsat ETM/ETM+ showed an overall accuracy of 88.1%, which increases to 93.6% in areas outside of forests. A comparison of the SCA derived from the proposed algorithm with standard MODIS products, MYD10 and MOD10, indicates an agreement of around 85.4% with major discrepancies in forested areas. The validation of MODIS snow cover maps with 148 in situ snow depth measurements shows an accuracy ranging from 94% to around 82%, where the lowest accuracies is found in very rugged terrain restricted to in situ stations along north facing slopes, which lie in shadow in winter during the early morning acquisition.