Estimation of Snow Water Equivalents in Dam Basins during the Peak Snow Season in Consideration of Slope Aspect

摘要

In cold, snowy regions, multi-purpose dams cover water use in summer by storing the influent water generated in spring with the thawing of snow accumulated on mountains in winter. Therefore it is necessary to estimate the snow water equivalents in a dam basin as exactly as possible. In this study, for better estimation of snow water equivalents for a dam basin in cold snowy regions, snow depth distribution was investigated in relation to both elevation and aspect of slope using a high-resolution digital elevation model (DEM) created from an airborne laser scanning conducted on a certain day in the snowy period and another one in the snow-free period. Based on the results, a snow water equivalent estimation model was developed. The model was used to estimate snow water equivalents in six dams, and resulted in estimates with a higher level of accuracy than those based on snow surveys and existing models.