Large-Area Deterministic Simulation of Natural Runoff from Snowmelt Based on Landsat MSS Data

This work sentnow a method of periodic evaluation of snow-covered areas by digital processing of Landsat data. Since the s cover was mapped for the first time in a large and morphologicomplex alpine basin, it was necessary to develop procedures to determine the snow coverage for partly clouded regions or for incomplete satellite scenes. The changing areal extent of the seasonal snow cover is an important variable for deterministic snowmelt runoff models. By using the SRM model, the natural runoff in the Rhein-Felsberg basin (3249 kM, 571-3614 m a.s.I) was simulated although the measured river flows are significantly influenced by artificial reservoir operation. Such simmulation would not be possible by calibration models that optimize the model parameters by the measured discharge.