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The effects of snow on albedo in the mountains of Iran using MODIS data

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Abstract

One of the parameters affecting albedo is snow. Therefore, the effects of snow on albedo can be a tool to understand environmental changes. Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) continuously produces snow and albedo products of the land surface on a global scale and with appropriate spatial resolution and makes them available to researchers. In this study, to investigate the relationship between albedo and snow in Iran, first, the daily data of the MODIS sensor MCD43A4 and MOD10A1 products in the area of Iran in the period of 1/1/2001 to 12/30/2021 for 6770 days were downloaded from the NASA website. Since the temperature conditions for snowfall are provided from an altitude of 1700 m, was calculated the seasonal and long-term correlation between albedo and snow at altitudes above 1700 m. These altitudes, which cover 27% of Iran’s area, were known as Iran’s Mountains (Mts.). The results showed that in the winter and autumn seasons, which are known as Iran’s snowy seasons, the land surface albedo also increases with the increase in snow cover. Therefore, in these seasons, the correlation between albedo and snow over Iran’s Mts. is strongly positive. In these seasons, positive correlation covers 91 and 81% of Iran’s Mts., respectively. In spring, there is a strong positive correlation in high altitudes and a weak positive/negative correlation in low altitudes. The negative correlation in the spring season is due to the delay in the measuring time of the sensor and the conversion of precipitation from solid to liquid. In the summer season, due to the establishment of Subtropical High-Pressure Systems Azores and the increase in air temperature, the snow cover of the Mts. disappears and the albedo was expected to decrease. But with the reduction of snow cover, albedo has increased. As a result, in these seasons, the correlation between albedo and snow over Iran’s Mts. is negative. It seems that the increase in albedo in spring and especially summer is caused by the increase in the land surface temperature (LST), which requires separate research.

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Data availability

The data used in this study were collected from the below websites: (1) https://lpdaac.usgs.gov/; (2) https://search.earthdata.nasa.gov/search/.

Code availability

In this paper, custom code in MATLAB software has been used.

Notes

  1. American Meteorological Society.

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Acknowledgements

This article is an extract from a doctoral thesis and was done under the financial support of the Iran National Science Foundation (INSF). No. 97009428. The authors also thank the MODIS albedo science team and the Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (LP DAAC) for providing the MCD43A4v006 albedo data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Geography, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran

    Omid Reza Kefayat Motlagh & Mahmood Khosravi

  2. Department of Physical Geography, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

    Seyed Abolfazl Masoodian

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  1. Omid Reza Kefayat Motlagh
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  2. Mahmood Khosravi
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  3. Seyed Abolfazl Masoodian
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study’s conception and design. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Omid Reza Kefayat Motlagh, and the final version was completed by Mahmood Khosravi and Seyed Abolfazl Masoodian. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Omid Reza Kefayat Motlagh.

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Key points

• Temperature conditions for snowfall in Iran are provided from a height of 1700 m. These heights are known as sources of water and snow.

• The effects of snow on albedo showed environmental changes in the mountains of Iran.

• In spring and summer seasons, with the decrease of snow cover, albedo increases. Why?

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Motlagh, O.R.K., Khosravi, M. & Masoodian, S.A. The effects of snow on albedo in the mountains of Iran using MODIS data. Theor Appl Climatol 155, 1103–1112 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-023-04680-1

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