Application of a Snowmelt-Runoff Model Using Landsat Data

The snowmelt-runoff model developed by Martinec (1975) has been used to simulate daily streamflow on the 228 km² Din woody Creek basin in Wyoming, U.S.A. using snowcover extent from Landsat and conventionally measured temperature and precipitation. For the six-month snowmelt seasons of 1976 and 1974 the simulated seasonal runoff volumes were within 5 and 1%, respectively, of the measured runoff. Also the daily fluctuations of discharge were simulated to a high degree by the model. Thus far the limiting basin size for applying the model has not been reached, and improvements can be expected if the hydrometeorological data can be obtained from a station inside the basin. Landsat provides an efficient way to obtain the critical snowcover input parameter required by the model.