Articles | Volume 17, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1457-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1457-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
05 Apr 2023
Research article |
| 05 Apr 2023
| 05 Apr 2023
Snowmelt characterization from optical and synthetic-aperture radar observations in the La Joie Basin, British Columbia
Sara E. Darychuk
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Colombia, V2N 4Z9, Canada
Joseph M. Shea
Department of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Colombia, V2N 4Z9, Canada
Brian Menounos
Department of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Colombia, V2N 4Z9, Canada
Hakai Institute, Campbell River, British Columbia, V9W 0B7, Canada
Anna Chesnokova
Department of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Colombia, V2N 4Z9, Canada
Georg Jost
BC Hydro, Burnaby, British Columbia, V3N 4X8, Canada
Frank Weber
BC Hydro, Burnaby, British Columbia, V3N 4X8, Canada
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Preprint under review for ESSD
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Preprint under review for HESS
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Russell S. Smith, Caren C. Dymond, David L. Spittlehouse, Rita D. Winkler, and Georg Jost
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2023-248, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2023-248, 2023
Manuscript not accepted for further review
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Hydrologic impacts of climate and landcover changes were modeled for a watershed. Combined impacts are offsetting for small peak flows, but additive for large events. Extreme summer low flows are predicted to become common. Low annual runoff is predicted to be more prevalent by 2050, then recover. The modeling suggests landcover change can mitigate low water supply. For managing watershed risk, strategies to reduce one risk may increase others, or effective strategies may become less effective.
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Christophe Kinnard, Olivier Larouche, Michael N. Demuth, and Brian Menounos
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Short summary
We use synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) and optical observations to map snowmelt timing and duration on the watershed scale. We found that Sentinel-1 SAR time series can be used to approximate snowmelt onset over diverse terrain and land cover types, and we present a low-cost workflow for SAR processing over large, mountainous regions. Our approach provides spatially distributed observations of the snowpack necessary for model calibration and can be used to monitor snowmelt in ungauged basins.
We use synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) and optical observations to map snowmelt timing and...
