Evaluation and mapping of snow characteristics using remote sensing data in Astore River Basin, Pakistan

Being an agricultural country, Pakistan requires lots of water for irrigation. A major portion of its water resources is located in the upper Indus basin (UIB). The snowmelt runoff generated from high-altitude areas of the UIB provides inflow into the Indus river system that boosts the water supply....

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Autores principales: Khan, Ihsan Ullah, Iqbal, M., Ali, Zeshan, Arshed, A. B., Wang, M., Adnan, R. M.
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: MDPI 2025
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174854
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author Khan, Ihsan Ullah
Iqbal, M.
Ali, Zeshan
Arshed, A. B.
Wang, M.
Adnan, R. M.
author_browse Adnan, R. M.
Ali, Zeshan
Arshed, A. B.
Iqbal, M.
Khan, Ihsan Ullah
Wang, M.
author_facet Khan, Ihsan Ullah
Iqbal, M.
Ali, Zeshan
Arshed, A. B.
Wang, M.
Adnan, R. M.
author_sort Khan, Ihsan Ullah
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Being an agricultural country, Pakistan requires lots of water for irrigation. A major portion of its water resources is located in the upper Indus basin (UIB). The snowmelt runoff generated from high-altitude areas of the UIB provides inflow into the Indus river system that boosts the water supply. Snow accumulation during the winter period in the highlands in the watershed(s) becomes a source of water inflow during the snow-melting period, which is described according to characteristics like snow depth, snow density, and snow water equivalent. Snowmelt water release (SWE) and snowmelt water depth (SD) maps are generated by tracing snow occurrence from MODIS-based images of the snow-cover area, evaluating the heating degree days (HDDs) from MODIS-derived images of the land surface temperature, computing the solar radiation, and then assimilating all the previous data in the form of the snowmelt model and ground measurements of the snowmelt water release (SWE). The results show that the average snow-cover area in the Astore river basin, in the upper Indus basin, ranges from 94% in winter to 20% in summer. The maps reveal that the annual average values of the SWE range from 150 mm to 535 mm, and the SD values range from 600 mm to 2135 mm, for the snowmelt period (April–September) over the years 2010–2020. The areas linked with vegetation experience low SWE accumulation because of the low slopes in the elevated regions. The meteorological parameters and basin characteristics affect the SWE and can determine the SD values.
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spelling CGSpace1748542025-12-08T10:29:22Z Evaluation and mapping of snow characteristics using remote sensing data in Astore River Basin, Pakistan Khan, Ihsan Ullah Iqbal, M. Ali, Zeshan Arshed, A. B. Wang, M. Adnan, R. M. snow cover snowmelt remote sensing river basins moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer Being an agricultural country, Pakistan requires lots of water for irrigation. A major portion of its water resources is located in the upper Indus basin (UIB). The snowmelt runoff generated from high-altitude areas of the UIB provides inflow into the Indus river system that boosts the water supply. Snow accumulation during the winter period in the highlands in the watershed(s) becomes a source of water inflow during the snow-melting period, which is described according to characteristics like snow depth, snow density, and snow water equivalent. Snowmelt water release (SWE) and snowmelt water depth (SD) maps are generated by tracing snow occurrence from MODIS-based images of the snow-cover area, evaluating the heating degree days (HDDs) from MODIS-derived images of the land surface temperature, computing the solar radiation, and then assimilating all the previous data in the form of the snowmelt model and ground measurements of the snowmelt water release (SWE). The results show that the average snow-cover area in the Astore river basin, in the upper Indus basin, ranges from 94% in winter to 20% in summer. The maps reveal that the annual average values of the SWE range from 150 mm to 535 mm, and the SD values range from 600 mm to 2135 mm, for the snowmelt period (April–September) over the years 2010–2020. The areas linked with vegetation experience low SWE accumulation because of the low slopes in the elevated regions. The meteorological parameters and basin characteristics affect the SWE and can determine the SD values. 2025-05 2025-05-28T08:51:53Z 2025-05-28T08:51:53Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174854 en Open Access MDPI Khan, Ihsan Ullah; Iqbal, M.; Ali, Zeshan; Arshed, A. B.; Wang, M.; Adnan, R. M. 2025. Evaluation and mapping of snow characteristics using remote sensing data in Astore River Basin, Pakistan. Atmosphere, 16(5), 550. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos16050550
spellingShingle snow cover
snowmelt
remote sensing
river basins
moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer
Khan, Ihsan Ullah
Iqbal, M.
Ali, Zeshan
Arshed, A. B.
Wang, M.
Adnan, R. M.
Evaluation and mapping of snow characteristics using remote sensing data in Astore River Basin, Pakistan
title Evaluation and mapping of snow characteristics using remote sensing data in Astore River Basin, Pakistan
title_full Evaluation and mapping of snow characteristics using remote sensing data in Astore River Basin, Pakistan
title_fullStr Evaluation and mapping of snow characteristics using remote sensing data in Astore River Basin, Pakistan
title_full_unstemmed Evaluation and mapping of snow characteristics using remote sensing data in Astore River Basin, Pakistan
title_short Evaluation and mapping of snow characteristics using remote sensing data in Astore River Basin, Pakistan
title_sort evaluation and mapping of snow characteristics using remote sensing data in astore river basin pakistan
topic snow cover
snowmelt
remote sensing
river basins
moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/174854
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