Contemporary spatio-temporal patterns of snow cover over the Drakensberg

Authors

  • N. Mulder School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, WITS 2050, South Africa.
  • S. Grab School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, WITS 2050, South Africa.

Abstract

Sixteen years of low-resolution Landsat 5 and 7 satellite images were used to construct Boolean images of snow cover over the Drakensberg through a GIS. Contemporary patterns of snow cover, including altitudinal variations, were determined for individual months and various seasons. The seasonal occurrence and spatial influence of various snow-producing weather systems were determined through remote sensing and the consultation of daily climate data and synoptic charts. A proportional relationship was found between altitude of snow-covered pixels and the number of occurrences that pixels were covered in snow. The highest incidence and most widespread snow cover occurred from June to August; spring snow occurred preferentially in the central and southern Drakensberg regions. Cold fronts and associated cut-off lows accounted for about 80% of snow cover over the Drakensberg.

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Published

2010-01-19

Issue

Vol. 105 No. 5/6 (2009)

Section

Research Letters

License

Creative Commons License
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How to Cite

Mulder, N., & Grab, S. (2010). Contemporary spatio-temporal patterns of snow cover over the Drakensberg. South African Journal of Science, 105(5/6). https://sajs.co.za/article/view/10309
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