MONITORING OF NORTH AMERICAN SNOW COVER AND ENSO EFFECTS

• Main Author: Pathan, A.B.M Borhan Uddin
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: CUNY Academic Works 2010
• Subjects: Snow; Remote Sensing; Enso; Greenland
• Online Access: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cc_etds_theses/1; https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=cc_etds_theses

This study was conducted to monitor the Snow Cover Area (SCA) and to evaluate the effects of El Nino and La Nina on SCA in North America (Excluding Greenland) since 2000/2001 to 2010. The NASA ((National Aeronautics and Space Administration) Earth Observing System Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)/Terra satellite provided every eight-day (MOD10C2) and monthly (MOD10CM) Hierarchical Data Format (HDF) products were used in this study. These both products were analyzed using MATLAB HDF import tool to measure SCAs and to create Climate Model Grid (CMG) maps. The largest SCA in individual month (21.16 M.Km2) and in individual year (11.39 M.Km2) were reported in January, 2001 and 2001, respectively. The maximum effect of El Nino occurred in April, where SCA was significantly below than average. During El Nino, southwestern state (New Mexico) to upper east states occupied more SCA than neutral years, while reduction of snow cover observed over upper northwest states. La Nina months received more SCA than El Nino months in the Northwest part of USA.