Tuesday, April 30, 2013

The Airborne Snow Observatory Project

LiDAR data from the ASO project
NASA and Cal Tech's Jet Propulsion Laboratory are conducting a pilot project this spring, known as the Airborne Snow Observatory (ASO), to more precisely estimate the volume of water present in the snowpack within the Hetch Hetchy watershed.  The project utilizes frequent aircraft flights and specialized sensors to develop water volume estimates that are potentially more accurate than existing methods, and provide data on a weekly basis versus the existing monthly snow surveys.  The techniques developed in the pilot project may eventually help reservoir operators better manage reservoir operations and UTREP ecological releases.  Read more about the Airborne Snow Observatory Project in this Washington Post articlethis LA Times story, and this KQED radio bit.