A Seasonal Snow Cover Classification System for Local to Global Applications.

Abstract A new classification system for seasonal snow covers is proposed. It has six classes (tundra, taiga, alpine, maritime, prairie, and ephemeral, each class defined by a unique ensemble of textural and stratigraphic characteristics including the sequence of snow layers, their thickness, density, and the crystal morphology and grain characteristics within each layer. The classes can also be derived using a binary system of three climate variables: wind, precipitation, and air temperature. Using this classification system, the Northern Hemisphere distribution of the snow cover classes is mapped on a 0.5° lat × 0.5° long grid. These maps are compared to maps prepared from snow cover data collected in the former Soviet Union and Alaska. For these areas where both climatologically based and texturally based snow cover maps are available, there is 62% and 90% agreement, respectively. Five of the six snow classes are found in Alaska. From 1989 through 1992, hourly measurements, consisting of 40 thermal and...