Daily gridded datasets of snow depth and snow water equivalent for the Iberian Peninsula from 1980 to 2014

Abstract

Abstract. We present snow observations and a validated daily gridded snowpack dataset that was simulated from downscaled reanalysis of data for the Iberian Peninsula. The Iberian Peninsula has long-lasting seasonal snowpacks in its different mountain ranges, and winter snowfall occurs in most of its area. However, there are only limited direct observations of snow depth (SD) and snow water equivalent (SWE), making it difficult to analyze snow dynamics and the spatiotemporal patterns of snowfall. We used meteorological data from downscaled reanalyses as input of a physically based snow energy balance model to simulate SWE and SD over the Iberian Peninsula from 1980 to 2014. More specifically, the ERA-Interim reanalysis was downscaled to 10 km × 10 km resolution using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. The WRF outputs were used directly, or as input to other submodels, to obtain data needed to drive the Factorial Snow Model (FSM). We used lapse rate coefficients and hygrobarometric adjustments to simulate snow series at 100 m elevations bands for each 10 km × 10 km grid cell in the Iberian Peninsula. The snow series were validated using data from MODIS satellite sensor and ground observations. The overall simulated snow series accurately reproduced the interannual variability of snowpack and the spatial variability of snow accumulation and melting, even in very complex topographic terrains. Thus, the presented dataset may be useful for many applications, including land management, hydrometeorological studies, phenology of flora and fauna, winter tourism, and risk management. The data presented here are freely available for download from Zenodo (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.854618). This paper fully describes the work flow, data validation, uncertainty assessment, and possible applications and limitations of the database.

Hydro-Meteorological Characterization of Major Floods in Spanish Mountain Rivers

“…Meteorological surface data was derived from the ERA-Interim reanalysis dynamically downscaled to 10 × 10 km resolution with the Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) by García-Valdecasas et al [34]. This was then coupled with a snow energy-balance simulation with Factorial Snow model (FSM), by Alonso-González et al [32]. They used the downscaled climate data to run the FSM and constructed a semi-distributed grid of daily snow depth (SD) and snow water equivalent (SWE) with 10 × 10 km resolution for the entire Iberian Peninsula spanning from 1980 to 2014.…”

“…They used the downscaled climate data to run the FSM and constructed a semi-distributed grid of daily snow depth (SD) and snow water equivalent (SWE) with 10 × 10 km resolution for the entire Iberian Peninsula spanning from 1980 to 2014. The grid was vertically rescaled to 100 m elevation bands using an array of radiative and psychrometric formulas and lapse rates (see details in [32]). Alonso-González et al [32] proved the consistency of the database with in situ SD and SWE observations and remote sensing data, accurately reproducing the temporal and spatial patterns of snow.…”

“…The grid was vertically rescaled to 100 m elevation bands using an array of radiative and psychrometric formulas and lapse rates (see details in [32]). Alonso-González et al [32] proved the consistency of the database with in situ SD and SWE observations and remote sensing data, accurately reproducing the temporal and spatial patterns of snow. For the purpose of our study, we extracted both, the downscaled climate data (3-hourly temperature, relative humidity and precipitation) and the daily SWE data corresponding to the extent of the 25 selected river watersheds.…”

“…This was thanks to techniques that allow a reasonable estimation of the quantity of water in the snowpack, including remote sensing and modeling approaches. On this regard, a new range of possibilities for research on snow hydrology in Spain was recently opened up with the publication of a gridded dataset of snow depth and snow water equivalent for Spain by Alonso-González et al [32].…”

“…Considering the abovementioned research gap and the new snow dataset for the Spanish mountains [32], the aim of this paper is to determine the main drivers of major floods in mountain rivers in Spain. Specifically, the objectives of the research are (1) to determine whether the major floods are derived from rain, snowmelt, or a combination of rain and snowmelt; (2) to quantify the relative contribution of each on the total flooding streamflow; (3) to explore the main characteristics of the floods hydrographs [27,28] according to the relative contribution of rainfall and snowmelt and (4) to determine whether the geographical characteristics of the catchments, and atmospheric circulation over the Iberian region can explain the relative importance of rainfall and snowmelt in triggering major floods.…”