Updating a Land Surface Model with MODIS-Derived Snow Cover

Abstract A simple scheme for updating snow-water storage in a land surface model using snow cover observations is presented. The scheme makes use of snow cover observations retrieved from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites. Simulated snow-water equivalent is adjusted when and where the model and MODIS observation differ, following an internal accounting of the observation quality, by either removing the simulated snow or adding a thin layer. The scheme is tested in a 101-day global simulation of the Mosaic land surface model driven by the NASA/NOAA Global Land Data Assimilation System. Output from this simulation is compared to that from a control (not updated) simulation, and both are assessed using a conventional snow cover product and data from ground-based observation networks over the continental United States. In general, output from the updated simulation displays more accurate snow coverage and compares more favorably with in situ snow...

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