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The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer ( MODIS ) , flying aboard NASAs Terra and Aqua satellites , measures snow cover over the entire globe every day , cloud cover permitting At spatial resolutions of up to 500 meters per pixel , MODIS allows scientists to distinguish between snow and clouds , both of which appear bright white when seen from above at true color wavelengths Snow cover is a critical water resource in many areas More than 75 percent of the water for human consumption and irrigation in the western United States comes from snow melt runoff Scientists use satellite data on the extent of snow cover , along with other information , to estimate how much water is contained within a given snow pack This information is essential for more efficiently managing reservoirs as well as predicting where and when floods are likely to occur Snowmelt runoff from the Sierra Nevada Mountains constitutes a large component of the water supply for California ? |
