Spatiotemporal patterns of snow cover retrieved from NOAA-AVHRR LTDR: a case study in the Tibetan Plateau, China

Abstract

Snow cover plays an important role in hydrological processes and seasonal water balance. Especially in the Tibetan Plateau (TP), snow cover is an important source of the Yangtze River, Yellow River and Lancang River (SRYYL), which greatly influences regional water balance. In this study, we quantified the temporal trend and spatial variation of snow cover across the TP by calibrating and developing the Advance Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) Long Term Data Record (LTDR)-derived snow cover products during 1982-2011. We also examined the relationship of snow cover with temperature and precipitation over the TP during 1982–2011. The results indicate that seasonal snow cover generally st..