Klaus Seidel – författare

The authors of this monograph initially provide an assessment of the role of snow and ice in the global water balance, and methods of snow measurements are detailed. Periodical satellite snow-cover mapping enabling the regional distribution of snow and water equivalent is evaluated, enhancing runoff forecasts. Remote sensing, as applied in spatial resolution, using sensors, is introduced, distinguishing snow, clouds and glacial ice. Sensors are introduced enabling snow, clouds and glacier ice to be distinguished. Refined data processing, combined with the Geographical Information System (GIS), shows how satellite images partially obscured by clouds can be restored, thus improving the frequency of usable scenes. The SRM model illustrates how this process has been exploited by independent users, listing applications for runoff models in excess of 100 basins globally. In parallel with advances in remote sensing, the model's capabilities have been extended to compute runoff in glacierized basins, extremely large basins and in ungauged basins, as documented through examples in the text.

Initially, the role of snow and ice in the global water balance is assessed and methods of snow measurements are explained. Remote sensing is dealt with with regard to periodical snow cover mapping. Last advances and refinements refer to spatial resolution, cloud interference and separate monitoring of snow and glacier ice. Following a review of snow melt and runoff modelling, the Snowmelt Runoff Model (SRM) demonstrates the merits of remote sensing in snow hydrology by using the satellite data as a direct input variable. Applications in over 100 mountain basins around the world are documented, with surface areas ranging from 0.3 km2 to 900.000 km2. Based on runoff modelling, runoff forecasts are dealt with including seasonal and short term forecasts as well as computation of hydrographs from forecasted temperatures and precipitation. The climate change is becoming a major concern of our times. The effect of various climate scenarios on the seasonal snow cover and runoff is evaluated by the updated computer program which also enable the real-time runoff forecasts to be improved. As a final note, a method is outlined to predict the decline of glaciers in the warming climate.