NASA's C-20A Aircraft Tracks Snowmelt to Improve Water Management.

NASA is advancing its efforts to improve water resource management by tracking the crucial process of snowmelt. As part of a mission aimed at monitoring one of Earth’s most valuable resources—water—the agency’s C-20A aircraft took to the skies for seven research flights in March. These flights are part of a broader initiative that helps scientists understand the transformation of snow into freshwater, a vital resource for many industries and communities.

The aircraft is equipped with the Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR), a tool designed to measure snow cover and estimate the amount of water stored in seasonal snow. This data plays an important role in understanding how snowmelt contributes to freshwater resources used for drinking water, power generation, and agriculture, among other sectors.

"Seasonal snow serves as a critical resource for drinking water, power generation, and supports agricultural and recreational industries that generate billions of dollars annually," said Starr Ginn, the C-20A project manager at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center. "Consequently, accurately assessing the distribution of seasonal snow and its runoff is essential for managing these resources effectively."

The DUST (Dense UAVSAR Snow Time) mission, part of this larger effort, focused on mapping snow accumulation across the Sierra Nevada mountains in California and the Rocky Mountains in Idaho. Using this data, scientists are now able to estimate the volume of water stored within the snow and track its eventual conversion into runoff.

According to Shadi Oveisgharan, the principal investigator for the DUST mission at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, measuring the snow water equivalent (SWE)—which refers to the amount of water in snow—has historically been challenging. However, the UAVSAR has proven to be an effective tool for retrieving precise SWE data, improving the accuracy of snowmelt predictions.

Recent changes in weather patterns, snow properties, and seasonal conditions in the American West have complicated traditional methods of monitoring snowpack and forecasting snow runoff. The DUST mission seeks to address these challenges by providing more accurate and timely data about snow-to-water conversions.

"We are trying to pinpoint the optimal window during which to gather snow data," Oveisgharan explained. "This will help us refine our estimates of available fresh snow and manage reservoirs more efficiently."

The success of the DUST mission is also attributed to the specialized flight paths flown by the C-20A. Equipped with a Platform Precision Autopilot (PPA), the aircraft is capable of following highly specific routes at precise altitudes, speeds, and angles, allowing the UAVSAR to measure even the smallest terrain variations with exceptional accuracy.

Joe Piotrowski Jr., an operations engineer for NASA Armstrong’s airborne science program, compared the aircraft’s precision to rows created by a lawn mower. "The PPA system enables the C-20A to make paths while measuring terrain changes with centimeter-level precision," he said.

With this innovative approach, NASA’s mission not only enhances our understanding of snowmelt but also aids in more effective water management, critical to ensuring the sustainable use of freshwater resources in regions dependent on seasonal snowpack.

Source:https://phys.org/news/2025-04-nasa-tracks-snowmelt.html

This is non-financial/medical advice and made using AI so could be wrong.