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165<br />
63 rd EASTERN SNOW CONFERENCE<br />
Newark, Delaware USA 2006<br />
Enh<strong>an</strong>cements <strong>an</strong>d Forthcoming Developments to <strong>the</strong> Interactive<br />
Multisensor <strong>Snow</strong> <strong>an</strong>d Ice Mapping System (IMS)<br />
ABSTRACT<br />
SEAN R. HELFRICH 1 , DONNA MCNAMARA 1 , BRUCE H. RAMSAY 2 ,<br />
THOMAS BALDWIN 1 , AND TIM KASHETA 3<br />
The national oce<strong>an</strong>ic <strong>an</strong>d atmospheric administration’s national environmental satellite data, <strong>an</strong>d<br />
information service (noaa/nesdis) interactive multisensor snow <strong>an</strong>d ice mapping system (ims) h<strong>as</strong><br />
undergone subst<strong>an</strong>tial ch<strong>an</strong>ges since <strong>the</strong> inception in 1997. These ch<strong>an</strong>ges include <strong>the</strong> data sources<br />
used to generate <strong>the</strong> product, methodology of product creation, <strong>an</strong>d even ch<strong>an</strong>ges in <strong>the</strong> output.<br />
Among <strong>the</strong> most notable of <strong>the</strong> p<strong>as</strong>t upgrades to <strong>the</strong> ims are a 4 kilometer resolution grid output,<br />
ingest of <strong>an</strong> automated snow detection algorithm, exp<strong>an</strong>sion to a global extent, <strong>an</strong>d a static digital<br />
elevation model for mapping b<strong>as</strong>ed on elevation. Fur<strong>the</strong>r developments to this dynamic system<br />
will continue <strong>as</strong> noaa strives to improve snow parameterization for wea<strong>the</strong>r forec<strong>as</strong>t modeling.<br />
Several future short term enh<strong>an</strong>cements will be evaluated for possible tr<strong>an</strong>sition to operations<br />
before <strong>the</strong> nor<strong>the</strong>rn hemisphere winter of 2006–07. Current <strong>an</strong>d historical data will be adobted to a<br />
geographic information systems (GIS) format before 2007, <strong>as</strong> well. Longer-term enh<strong>an</strong>cements are<br />
also pl<strong>an</strong>ned to account for new snow dat<strong>as</strong>ources, mapping methodologies <strong>an</strong>d user requirements.<br />
These modifications are being made with care to preserve <strong>the</strong> integrity of <strong>the</strong> long st<strong>an</strong>ding<br />
satellite derived snow record that is vital to global ch<strong>an</strong>ge detection.<br />
Keywords: satellite remote sensing; environmental data; snow cover; ice cover; geographic<br />
information systems; climate<br />
INTRODUCTION<br />
The interactive multisensor snow <strong>an</strong>d ice mapping system (IMS) h<strong>as</strong> been <strong>the</strong> main operational<br />
snow <strong>an</strong>d ice charting tool of <strong>the</strong> National Oce<strong>an</strong>ic <strong>an</strong>d Atmospheric Administration’s National<br />
Environmental Satellite Data, <strong>an</strong>d Information Service (NOAA/NESDIS) for almost a decade.<br />
This product w<strong>as</strong> primarily created to improve <strong>the</strong> quality <strong>an</strong>d timeliness of Nor<strong>the</strong>rn Hemisphere<br />
snow maps for National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) numerical forec<strong>as</strong>ting<br />
(Ramsay, 1998). Prior to <strong>the</strong> IMS’s operational inception in 1997, snow charts were constructed<br />
m<strong>an</strong>ually once per week. The IMS is produced daily using geographic information systems (GIS)<br />
technology. This system had subst<strong>an</strong>tial impacts on production speed, product spatial accuracy,<br />
<strong>an</strong>d time between observations. A comparison <strong>an</strong>d validation review of <strong>the</strong> product tr<strong>an</strong>sition from<br />
1<br />
NOAA/NESDIS/OSDPD – NOAA Science Center, 5200 Auth Rd., Camp Springs Maryl<strong>an</strong>d,<br />
20746 se<strong>an</strong>.helfrich@noaa.gov<br />
2<br />
NOAA/NESDIS/STAR/CORP – NOAA Science Center, 5200 Auth Rd., Camp Springs<br />
Maryl<strong>an</strong>d, 20746<br />
3<br />
Riverside Technology, Inc. – 2290 E<strong>as</strong>t Prospect Road, Suite 1, Fort Collins, Colorado 80525