Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Synthesizing Measurement, Modeling And Remote Sensing Techniques To Study Spatiotemporal Variability Of Seasonal Snow, Andrew R. Hedrick

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Mountain snowpacks vary drastically over length scales as small as 1—2 meters in complex terrain and require high resolution measurements to accurately quantify the spatial distribution of snow. This thesis explores this spatial distribution using remote sensing, modeling and ground-based observations. Snow depth estimates from airborne LiDAR at 5 m resolution over 750 km² was compared to in situ observations and results from physically-based snow and wind redistribution models, and a new low cost method for continuous depth measurements at the slope scale was developed.

Repeated airborne Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) surveys are capable of recording snow depth …

Assessing Local Snow Variability Using A Network Of Ultrasonic Snow Depth Sensors, Erik Thorsten Boe

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

During the 2009-2010 winter season, 21 inexpensive ultrasonic snow depth (USD) sensors were constructed and installed, in addition to two standard Judd USD sensors, at Treeline and Lower Deer Point sites located within the snow dominated Dry Creek Experimental Watershed, near Boise, Idaho. Six USD sensors, including a single Judd Communications USD sensor, were installed at the Treeline site along a northeast to southwest transect of the small 0.02 km² catchment. Seventeen USD sensors, including a single Judd Communications USD sensor, were installed at Lower Deer Point in a randomized stratified pattern with respect to aspect and vegetation to …

Dendrochronological Reconstruction Of Fire, Bogus Basin Area Boise National Forest, Amy L. Cutter

Student Research Initiative

Since people have settled along the Boise Front, there have been very few documented fire disturbances. This is likely an outcome of fire suppression policies. There is evidence, visible as scars on living trees, that the old growth ponderosa pines located on the East Side Trail in the Boise National Forest have withstood multiple fires. Samples were collected by using a chainsaw to remove small, partial cross-sections from several trees. The Boise Front master chronology was used to accurately cross-date the fire-scarred samples using COFECHA. Analysis of the samples revealed ten fire events ranging from 1709 to 1889. The fire …

Transfer Of Snow Information Across The Macro-To-Hillslope-Scale Gap Using A Physiographic Downscaling Approach: Implications For Hydrologic Modeling In Semiarid, Seasonally Snow-Dominated Watersheds, Reggie D. Walters

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Snow and ice are substantial components of the global energy balance and hydrologic cycle. Seasonal snow covers an area of 47 million km² at its average maximum extent, 98% of which occurs across the Northern Hemisphere. The earth’s radiation budget is largely controlled by the fraction of absorbed solar energy, a parameter that is dependent upon snow surface albedo. Mountain snowpacks act as natural reservoirs, storing large quantities of water throughout the winter until eventual release during the melting phase. Accurate characterization of snow-covered area (SCA) and snow water equivalent (SWE) in such terrain could substantially improve the estimation …