The Cryosphere
The Cryosphere
TC
Articles | Volume 20, issue 11
Articles | Volume 20, issue 11
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-6309-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-6309-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 20, issue 11
Research article
 | 
05 Nov 2026
Research article |  | 05 Nov 2026

Identifying Snow-Covered Areas from Unoccupied Aerial Systems (UAS) Visible Imagery and Lidar: A Comparison of Methods

Mahsa Moradi, Andrew G. Fleming, Adam Hunsaker, and Jennifer M. Jacobs

Download

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse

Peer review completion

AR – Author's response | RR – Referee report | ED – Editor decision | EF – Editorial file upload
ED: Reconsider after major revisions (further review by editor and referees) (13 Mar 2026) by Franziska Koch
AR by Mahsa Moradi on behalf of the Authors (01 Jun 2026)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (03 Jun 2026) by Franziska Koch
RR by Anonymous Referee #1 (17 Jun 2026)
RR by Christian Sommer (25 Jun 2026)
ED: Publish subject to minor revisions (review by editor) (26 Jun 2026) by Franziska Koch
AR by Mahsa Moradi on behalf of the Authors (06 Jul 2026)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Publish as is (07 Jul 2026) by Franziska Koch
AR by Mahsa Moradi on behalf of the Authors (20 Jul 2026)

Post-review adjustments

AA – Author's adjustment | EA – Editor approval
AA by Mahsa Moradi on behalf of the Authors (15 Oct 2026)   Author's adjustment   Manuscript
EA: Adjustments approved (22 Oct 2026) by Franziska Koch
Download
Short summary
Visible images from unoccupied aerial systems (UAS) can be used to map snow, especially where snow is shallow and does not last long. We tested several methods for identifying snow-covered areas using UAS images collected in southern New Hampshire, USA. We found that using the full color information gives the most reliable results. We showed how UAS surveys can be planned to create accurate snow cover maps, helping track snow in changing conditions.
Read more
Share
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint