MONITORING CHANGES IN LAKE BAYKAL'S SNOW AND ICE COVER USING AVHRR IMAGERY

Abstract

Two researchers engaged in studies of the frozen surface of Lake Baykal (in particular of sub-ice algae blooms affected by the extent of penetration of solar radiation) describe a program of monitoring snow cover on the ice surface using Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) imagery. Automated classification of small groups of AVHRR images for specific subperiods during the period February—March 1996 and 1997 permitted compilation of “composite images” for each of these subperiods (e.g., eliminating problems when parts of individual images are obscured). Pixel values from these were summed (with weighting factors) in turn to produce an image in which pixel brightness represents the frequency of appearance of snow cover on the frozen lake surface. Translated by Edward Torrey, Alexandria, Virginia from: Geografiya i prirodnyye resursy, 1999, No. 4, pp. 90-93.