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  2. Essential Climate Variables
  3. Snow
  4. ECV Products and Requirements for Snow

ECV Products and Requirements for Snow

These products and requirements reflect the Implementation Plan 2016 (GCOS-200). GCOS is reviewing and will update the requirements until 2022. More information on: gcos.wmo.int.

 

PRODUCT DEFINITION FREQ. RES. REQUIRED MEASUREMENT UNCERTAINTY STABILITY STANDARDS/ REFERENCES
Area covered by snow Snow cover refers to the area of land covered by snow at a given time Daily 1km (100m in complex terrain) 5% (maximum error of omission and commission in snow area); location accuracy better than 1/3 IFOV with target IFOV 100 m in areas of complex terrain, 1 km elsewhere 4% (maximum error of omission and commission in snow area); location accuracy better than 1/3 IFOV with target IFOV 100 m in areas of complex terrain, 1 km elsewhere WMO (2008c) IGOS (2007), IACS/UNESCO, 2009
Snow depth Snow depth is the perpendicular distance between snowpack surface and the underlying ground. Daily 1km (100m in complex terrain) 10mm 10mm WMO (2008c) IGOS (2007), IACS/UNESCO, 2009
Snow water equivalent It is depth of water that result from the snowpack melting in a unit of area. Daily 1km 10mm 10mm  

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