Background

Seasonal snow is a main element of the global water cycle and climate system. Due to the strong influence on the radiation and energy balance, changes in snow extent tend to amplify climate fluctuations. Terrestrial snow covers up to 50 million km2 of the Northern Hemisphere in winter, and is characterized by high spatial and temporal variability. Therefore satellite observations provide the only means for timely and complete observations of the global snow cover. The recently published 2013 IPCC Working Group 1 report identified seasonal snow as significantly decreasing during recent decades. The importance of producing better global scale snow cover data sets has been addressed in the WCRP-CliC Workshop on "WCRP Grand Challenges of the Cryosphere in a Changing Climate", held in Tromsö, 16-18 Oct. 2013. Also in the WMO Global Cryosphere Watch Workshop in January 2013 the need of intercomparing snow products from various sensors and methods was identified. This is the first of two international workshops with the aim to bring together scientists and institutions working in seasonal snow pack monitoring in order to assess the quality of current satellite-based snow products derived from EO data and work out guidelines for improvement. Scientists are encouraged to submit abstracts for presentations and posters for the workshops.

 

Objectives and Expected Outcomes

Objectives

To review algorithms and satellite products for snow extent and snow water equivalent (continental to global coverage) To elaborate guidelines for generation of reference / validation data (i.e. from high resolution satellite images, in-situ data; etc.) To elaborate concepts, protocols and guidelines for intercomparison and validation of snow products To review and discuss uncertainty characterisation of satellite snow products

 

Expected outcomes

Description of algorithms and snow products Concept, protocols and procedures for validating and intercomparing products Definition of key regions and key periods for validation and quality assessment Procedures for generating reference data for product intercomparisons Coordinated plan of validation activities and intercomparison

 

Proposed Themes

Continental to global snow extent products: algorithms, products, etc. Continental to global snow water equivalent products: algorithms, products, etc. Generation of reference data sets, key regions and key periods Methods and protocols for validation and quality assessment of global snow products Uncertainty characterisation of snow extent and SWE products

 

Schedule and Deadline

Workshop Announcement	10 March 2014
Abstract Submission	15 May 2014
Registration & Extended until	6 June 2014
Notification of Acceptance	9 June 2014
Workshop's Dates	21-23 July 2014

 

Organisation

	European Space Agency (ESA)
	ENVEO IT GmbH, Innsbruck Austria (PI)
	Global Cryosphere Watch
	Climate and Cryosphere

 

Organisation committee

Thomas Nagler (ENVEO)

Gabriele Bippus (ENVEO)

Helmut Rott (ENVEO / CliC)

Chris Derksen (EC)

Sari Metsämäki (SYKE)

Kari Luojus (FMI)

Jouni Pulliainen (FMI)

Richard Fernandes (CCRS)

Rune Solberg (NR)

Bojan Bojkov (ESA)

Sean Helfrich (NOAA)

Dorothy Hall (NASA)

David Robinson (Rutgers Univ.)

Marco Tedesco (CCNY/CUNY)

 

Contact Information

Dr. Thomas Nagler (Thomas.Nagler@enveo.at) or Dr. Bojan Bojkov (Bojan.Bojkov@esa.int)