Comparison of the NASA Standard MODerate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer and Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite Snow-Cover Products for Creation of a Climate Data Record: A Case Study in the Great Basin of the Western United States

Abstract

A nearly continuous daily, global Environmental Science Data Record of NASA Standard MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) snow-cover extent (SCE) data products has been available since 2000. When the MODIS record ends, the ‘moderate resolution’ SCE record will continue with NASA Standard Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) SCE data products. The objective of this work is to evaluate and quantify the continuity between the MODIS and VIIRS SCE data products to enable the merging of the data product records. A climate data record (CDR) could be developed when 30 years of daily global moderate-resolution SCE become available if the continuity of the MODIS and VIIRS records can be established. Here, we focus on the daily cloud-gap-filled MODIS and VIIRS SCE NASA standard data products, MOD10A1F and VNP10A1F, respectively, for a case study in the Great Basin of the western United States during a period of sensor overlap. Using the methodologies described herein (daily percent of snow cover, duration of snow cover, average monthly number of days (Ndays) of snow cover, and trends in Ndays of snow cover, we show that the snow maps display excellent agreement. For example, the average monthly number of days of snow cover in the Great Basin calculated using MOD10A1F and VNP10A1F agrees with a Pearson’s correlation coefficient of r = 0.99 for our 11-year study period from WY 2013 to 2023. Additionally, the SCE derived from each data product agrees very well with meteorological station data, with a Pearson’s correlation coefficient of r = 0.91 and r = 0.92 for MOD10A1F and VNP10A1F, respectively. Our results support the eventual creation of a CDR.

Keywords

• MODIS snow
• VIIRS snow
• snow-cover extent
• Great Basin
• climate data record