Spatial‐temporal patterns of snow cover in western Canada
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 8421744 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Carson J Q Farmer, Carson Farmer (0000-0003-1643-5976, University of Victoria, corresponding author), Trisalyn A Nelson, Trisalyn Nelson (0000-0003-2537-6971, University of Victoria, corresponding author), MIKE A WULDER (Canadian Forest Service, corresponding author), CHRIS DERKSEN (0000-0001-6821-5479, Environment and Climate Change Canada, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2009 |
| Volume | 53 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 473-487 |
| Publication date | 2009-12-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Canadian Geographies / Géographies canadiennes (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0008-3658 • E-ISSN: 1541-0064 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/j.1541-0064.2009.00283.x |
| OpenAlex | W2138198115 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 39 |
Snow cover is often measured as snow‐water equivalent (SWE), which refers to the amount of water stored in a snow pack that would be available upon melting. Snow cover and SWE represent a source of local snow‐melt release, and are sensitive to regional and global atmospheric circulation, and changes in climate. Monitoring SWE using satellite‐based passive microwave radiometry has provided nearly three decades of continuous data for North America . The availability of spatially and temporally extensive SWE data enables a better understanding of the nature of space‐time trends in snow cover, changes in these trends and linking these trends to underlying landscape and terrain characteristics. To address these interests, we quantify the spatial pattern of SWE by applying a local measure of spatial autocorrelation to 25 years of mean February SWE derived from passive microwave retrievals. Using a method for characterizing the temporal trends in the spatial pattern of SWE, temporal trends and variability in spatial autocorrelation are quantified. Results indicate that within the Canadian Prairies, extreme values of SWE are becoming more spatially coherent, with potential impacts on water availability, and hazards such as flooding. These results also highlight the need for Canadian ecological management units that consider winter conditions
Cartography · Climatology · Geography · Meteorology · Physical geography · Remote sensing · Snow · Snow cover · Spatial analysis · Spatial ecology · Temporal scales · Terrain · Arctic and Antarctic ice dynamics · Climate change and permafrost · Cryospheric studies and observations · Ecology · Environmental Science · Geology
Local Spatial Autocorrelation Statistics
Observational Evidence of Recent Change in the Northern High-Latitude Environment
On a Test of Whether one of Two Random Variables is Stochastically Larger than the Other
Potential impacts of a warming climate on water availability in snow-dominated regions
The Analysis of Spatial Association by Use of Distance Statistics
Spatial Processes
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |