Snow depth measurements from Arctic tundra and boreal forest collected during NASA SnowEx Alaska campaign

Boreal forest and Arctic tundra environments collectively hold the largest percentage of global terrestrial seasonal snow cover. Тhe in-situ snow measurement network is sparse and costly in these remote northern regions. Here, we complement existing snow depth monitoring in Arctic tundra and boreal forest by presenting an extensive (64°N-70°N) snow depth dataset and description of ground-based snow depth measurements collected during the NASA SnowEx Alaska intensive field campaign, March 7-16, 2023. We also report the accuracy of snow depth measurements in shallow boreal forest and Arctic tundra snowpack and share considerations in developing the consistent and repeatable snow depth data collection procedures. Snow depth measurements and technical validation described in this paper can serve as a robust product for testing snow remote sensing techniques, and for providing a reference dataset for climatological and hydrological studies.

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Publication Details

Journal
Scientific Data
Published
2025-05-31
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-05170-x
Citations
4
Primary Topic
Cryospheric studies and observations
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
5.20

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article

Snow depth measurements from Arctic tundra and boreal forest collected during NASA SnowEx Alaska campaign

Hans‐Peter Marshall, Megan Mason, Dragos Vas, Kelly Elder et al.
4 citations
Scientific Data
Cryospheric studies and observations
5.20
article

Snow depth measurements from Arctic tundra and boreal forest collected during NASA SnowEx Alaska campaign

Hans‐Peter Marshall, Megan Mason, Dragos Vas, Kelly Elder, Svetlana Stuefer, Carrie Vuyovich, Lisa May, Katherine Hale
article en
4 citations

Abstract

Boreal forest and Arctic tundra environments collectively hold the largest percentage of global terrestrial seasonal snow cover. Тhe in-situ snow measurement network is sparse and costly in these remote northern regions. Here, we complement existing snow depth monitoring in Arctic tundra and boreal forest by presenting an extensive (64°N-70°N) snow depth dataset and description of ground-based snow depth measurements collected during the NASA SnowEx Alaska intensive field campaign, March 7-16, 2023. We also report the accuracy of snow depth measurements in shallow boreal forest and Arctic tundra snowpack and share considerations in developing the consistent and repeatable snow depth data collection procedures. Snow depth measurements and technical validation described in this paper can serve as a robust product for testing snow remote sensing techniques, and for providing a reference dataset for climatological and hydrological studies.

Scientific DataVol. 12(1)
Boise State University (US), Goddard Space Flight Center (US), US Forest Service (US), University of Alaska Fairbanks (US), Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (US), Alaska Department of Natural Resources (US), Rocky Mountain Research Station (US)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, Goddard Space Flight Center
Openalex Percentile: Top 4%
Cryospheric studies and observations
5.20
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