Satellite remote sensing for hydrological monitoring and water management in Great Britain

The authors describe a set of methods designed to give satellite-based weekly maps of snow area in the United Kingdom for near-real-time use in water management, and local, and central government resource management. Based on NOAA (US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration) satellite imagery, this work has entailed the development of snow classification algorithms especially for snow/cloud discrimination using either visible, or multispectral data. The author summarizes the application of both radar and satellite rainfall monitoring techniques to the United Kingdom, with examples drawn from the catchment of the Severn-Trent in England and Wales, and from the Highlands of Scotland. Finally, attention is paid to the formulation of an approach to evaporation monitoring using satellite imagery to supplement ground observations and estimates.