Assessment of Maximum Snow-Water Equivalent in the Uba River Basin (Altai) Using the Temperature-Based Melt-Index Method
Bykov N.I. Birjukov R.Y. Bondarovich A.A. Zhakiyev N.K. Djukarev A.D.
June 2025Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
Climate
2025#13Issue 6
The assessment of the maximum snow-water equivalent in mountains is important for understanding the mechanism of their formation, as well as for hydrological calculations. The low density of the observation network and the high complexity of ground-based snow-measuring operations have led to the widespread use of remote methods to obtain such data. In this study, the maximum water reserve of the Uba River basin was calculated for the period of 2020–2023, based on data from the Sentinel-2 satellite regarding the position of the seasonal snow line, obtained using the temperature-based melt-index method. This study determined the snowmelt coefficients for the meteorological stations at Zmeinogorsk, Shemonaikha, and Ridder. Maps were constructed to show the distribution of the maximum snow-water equivalent in the Uba River basin. The spatial differentiation features of the snow cover were revealed, depending on the elevation, slope exposure, and distance from the watersheds. It was established that the altitudinal distribution of snow cover on the northern and southern macro-slopes of the ridges is asymmetric: in the western part of the basin, within the elevation range of 500–1200 m, the maximum water reserves of snow cover are greater on the southern slopes, but they become higher on the northern slopes above 1200 m. In the eastern part of the basin, they are always larger on the northern slopes. The greatest differences in the distribution of snow cover between the slopes occur near the watersheds.
Altai , East Kazakhstan , snow cover , temperature-based melt-index method , Uba River basin
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Institute for Water and Environmental Problems of the Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Molodeznaya str. 1, Barnaul, 656038, Russian Federation
Institute of Geography, Altai State University, Lenina 61, Barnaul, 656049, Russian Federation
Department of science and innovation, Astana IT University, Mangilik Yel Avenue 55/11, Astana, 010000, Kazakhstan
“Kazhydromet” the Republic State Enterprise, 12th Potanin street, Ust-Kamenogorsk, 070003, Kazakhstan
Institute for Water and Environmental Problems of the Siberian Branch
Institute of Geography
Department of science and innovation
“Kazhydromet” the Republic State Enterprise
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