Remotely Sensing Our Use of Water in a Changing Climate

In an article for Western Water magazine, Gary Pitzer writes about “The Promise of Remote Sensing.”  When it comes to understanding the complex relationship between land and water, remote sensing technology helps measure snowpack properties, evapotranspiration, groundwater recharge and more. When included in hydrologic models remotely sensed data can help forecast drought or flood conditions, which then helps water resource managers and the agriculture community use water more efficiently. 

 

Pitzer gathered comments from several scientific and professional experts of remote sensing, including CWEST Director Noah Molotch. Several projects under CWEST‘s Water Resources and Snow Hydrology research use the remote sensing of snow to help forecast drought in California, to measure and monitor Snow Water Equivalent, to infer the effect of forest perturbations on snowmelt, and to measure snow cover in mountainous regions.  Accuracy and detail limitations leave room for technological ingenuity and improvement in the field of remote sensing.

Western Water is a magazine published by the Water Education Foundation. The Water Education Foundation fosters public understanding and resolution of water resource issues through facilitation, education and outreach.