The Application of Geographic Information System (GIS)  and Remote Sensing in Quantifying Snow Cover and Precipitation in Kabul Basin

Qamar Zaman; Shahid Nawaz Khan

doi:10.19184/geosi.v5i1.14896

Qamar Zaman Institute of Geographical Information Systems, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan
Shahid Nawaz Khan Institute of Geographical Information Systems, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan

DOI: https://doi.org/10.19184/geosi.v5i1.14896

Abstract

Water Resources availability is very important to social and economic well-being of the people and has huge impacts on the socio-economic scenarios of a country. Precipitation and snow cover area assessment is some of the major inputs in hydrologic modelling and also for assessing and managing water resources in a basin. The change in the water availability in a basin has huge socio-economic impacts because of the water usage for food production, industries, and many others. The main aim of this study was to measure the snow cover area and precipitation from 2001 to 2015 in the Kabul basin. Moderate Resolution Image Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Tropical Rainfall measuring Mission (TRMM) data were used to study snow cover area and precipitation respectively during 2001-2015. 8-day snow cover product for 15 years (January) was used to analyse the snow cover while monthly data of TRMM (3B43) were used to analyse the rainfall from 2001-2015. Different image processing techniques were applied on the data retrieved using GIS and Remote Sensing softwares. Initially, SCA was seen increasing, but during the last 3-4 years, it kept decreasing gradually. Rainfall was initially recorded as low, while later on, it was recorded high and reached the highest during 2010.

Keywords: MODIS; Snow Cover; TRMM; Precipitation; Kabul Basin; Remote Sensing

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