The changing trajectory of snow mapping

Abstract

Snow cover and its associated melt have a variety of important biological, hydrological, economic and hazards implications, which under current global change scenarios are anticipated to continue operating as major environmental agents. To this end, considerable advances have been made in recording and mapping snow cover over the past few decades. This review examines the development of snow mapping over time, and explores the application of modern technology to the measurement of snow distribution and characterization. Some advantages and limitations of current snow mapping methods and techniques are discussed, as are their potential to facilitate future snow mapping. It is demonstrated that advances in remote sensing technology and ground-based measurement devices have upgraded snow mapping to a fully digital process during recent decades, and it is anticipated that three-dimensional snow mapping will facilitate a fundamental step toward a new generation of snow observation techniques in the coming years.