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Modeling of high‐latitude spring freshet from AMSR‐E passive microwave observations
Author(s) -
Yan Fenglin,
Ramage Joan,
McKenney Rose
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/2008wr007370
Subject(s) - snowmelt , streamflow , snow , environmental science , water year , tributary , latitude , climatology , surface runoff , meltwater , hydrology (agriculture) , meteorology , geology , drainage basin , geography , geodesy , ecology , cartography , geotechnical engineering , biology
Snowmelt runoff in high latitudes has significant impacts on global climatic and hydrologic systems. Snowmelt timing and snow water equivalent (SWE) from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS (AMSR‐E) are inputs to the new flux‐based SWEHydro model to simulate the spring streamflow without meteorological data for high‐latitude, snow‐dominated drainages. The model was developed for the Ross River (7250 km 2 ) and tested on the Pelly River (49,000 km 2 ), nested tributaries to the Yukon River. The model uses four parameters: snowmelt rate during and after the melt transition (as defined by passive microwave observations), and flow timing during and after the melt transition. A normalized mismatch function was used to calculate the error compared with observed discharge. Curves were ranked by lowest error in freshet timing, peak timing, and magnitude. Melt timing is a good predictor of freshet timing across years and basins. The system is most sensitive to the flow timing after the transition.