by Playfuls Staff |
5th April 2007
European Space Agency satellites have started monitoring and mapping the snow melting process in the Baltic Sea watershed [more] region.
The ESA said the project is designed to assist local officials in managing water supplies, as well as predicting and preparing for flooding as the spring melt of snow begins.
Using the ESA's Polar View program, the Finnish Environment Institute in Helsinki, SYKE in its Finnish acronym, is using images from the ESA Earth observation satellites to provide snow maps of Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and parts of Western Russia and Belarus from the beginning of March until the end of May.
SYKE's snow-mapping method produces information on fractional snow coverage for all non-mountainous areas, even heavily forested spots, with fine resolution. The maps are published on the SYKE website as soon as they are compiled -- usually within four to five hours of satellite overpass.
The snow maps are also used by the commercial sector for activities such as managing hydroelectric power production and estimating how much time remains in the winter sports season.
Beginning next year the project will include parts of Poland.
© 2007 UPI
