Abstract
The utility of the daily MODIS snow products depends on the ability of the MODIS cloud-masking algorithm to differentiate between snow-and cloud-cover. Although few studies have explored the issue, snow/cloud confusion is a key issue limiting the accuracy of the MODIS snow products. Recent studies from the Southern Hemisphere suggested that snow/cloud confusion limited the utility of the MODIS snow products there. In this study, MODIS snow/cloud confusion over Australia was investigated using an improved liberal cloud-mask in conjunction with a snow-detection algorithm. The performance of the proposed cloud-mask was assessed using high-resolution ASTER imagery and in situ observations. Results indicated that the improved liberal cloud-masking algorithm reduced snow?cloud confusion, successfully identifying snow-covered pixels that were previously identified as cloudy. The analysis further suggested that scale-related differences in imagery used in the standard MODIS cloud-masking workflow might be the source of some snow/cloud confusion previously reported.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 119-129 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing |
Volume | 81 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2015 |
Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2014 American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing.