FIELD SAMPLING TO VALIDATE SATELLITE MEASUREMENTS OF DUST-ON-SNOW IMPACTS IN NORTHERN UTAH

The western United States faces ongoing stress for water resources due to increasing populations and a changing climate. Utah, the third driest state in the country, relies heavily on mountain snowpack during a given year to determine water availability in the summer months. The importance the snowpack plays in water resources only stresses the need for more accurate snow research and monitoring. This research project aims to use regular fieldwork and advanced satellite image analysis techniques to monitor the snowpack in the Wasatch Mountains through the winter months and into the spring. Snow surface albedo, or reflectance, is an important variable in determining how quickly the snowpack will melt in the spring. Dust deposited on the snowpack can have significant effects on snow surface albedo, which may lead to earlier melt than a snowpack without dust layers present. This project will use fieldwork to understand the spatial variability of dust on snow by sampling dust layers from multiple locations throughout the Wasatch Mountains. Field sampling will align with one or more satellite overpasses, to validate remote techniques for determining whether satellites, like Landsat, are equipped to accurately calculate the impact of dust on snow. Satellite processes are critical for long-term and large-coverage snow analysis. Our partnerships with Sundance Mountain Resort and the University of Utah will provide a location for continual monitoring and assistance in sampling and analysis. The outcomes of this project aim to provide more data and workflow processes to the snow science community that will help in creating better snow hydrology models that consider how dust influences the snowpack.