Global and Regional Snow Cover Decline: 2000–2022

Abstract

Snow cover affects the global surface energy balance and, with its high albedo, exerts a cooling effect on the Earth’s climate. Decreases in snow cover alter the flow of solar energy from being reflected away from Earth to being absorbed, increasing the Earth’s surface temperature. To gain a global understanding of snow cover change, in situ measurements are too few and far between, so remotely sensed data are needed. This research used the medium-resolution sensor MODIS on the Terra satellite, which has been observing global snow cover almost daily since the year 2000. Here, the MOD10C2 eight-day maximum value composite time series data from February 2000 to March 2023 were analyzed to detect global and regional trends in snow cover extent for the first 23 years of the 21st century. Trends in snow cover change during different time periods (seasons and snow-year) were examined using the Mann—Kendall test and the univariate differencing analysis. Both methods produced similar results. Globally, snow cover declined two to ten times as much as it increased, depending on the season of analysis, and annually, global snow cover decreased 5.12% (not including Antarctica or Greenland) based on the Mann—Kendall test at the 95th percentile (p < 0.05). Regionally, Asia had the greatest net area decline in snow cover, followed by Europe. Although North America has the second-largest extent of snow cover, it had the least amount of net decreasing snow cover relative to its size. South America had the greatest local decline in snow cover, decreasing 20.60% of its annual (snow-year) snow cover area. The Australia–New Zealand region, with just 0.34% of the global snow cover, was the only region to have a net increase in snow cover, increasing 3.61% of its annual snow cover area.