Cheng et al. (2026) Observation‐Masked Localized Assimilation of Satellite‐Derived Snow Cover Data for Enhancing Runoff Prediction in the Rhône River Basin, France

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Identification

• Journal: Water Resources Research
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-09-01
• Authors: Meiling Cheng, Femke C. Vossepoel, Stef Lhermitte, Rolf Hut
• DOI: 10.1029/2025wr042847

Research Groups

• Laboratoire d'Études en Géophysique et Géochimie de l'Environnement (GEOPS)
• HydroSciences Montpellier (HM)

Short Summary

This study presents an Observation-Masked Localized Ensemble Kalman Filter (OML-EnKF) framework for assimilating satellite data into a distributed hydrological model, improving snowpack characterization and discharge prediction in the Rhône River basin.

Objective

• Investigate the effectiveness of OML-EnKF in integrating remote sensing observations with a distributed hydrological model to improve snowmelt-driven hydrological processes.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: The study focuses on the Rhône River basin, France.
• Temporal Scale: Daily data assimilation was performed for 2017–2019.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Wflow_sbm distributed hydrological model with a snow module.
• Data sources: Copernicus snow cover fraction (SCF) observations.

Main Results

• The OML-EnKF improved seasonal discharge patterns, produced spatially coherent snow water equivalent patterns consistent with topography, and refined SCF estimates.
• Temporal shifts in snowpack accumulation and ablation modulated runoff timing, with increased snowmelt contributions during winter (October–March) and diminished discharge in late spring (April–June).

Contributions

• This study contributes to the development of a localized data assimilation framework for improving snowpack characterization and discharge prediction in mountainous regions.

Funding

• This research was funded by the French National Research Agency (ANR) under project reference ANR-19-CE01-0001.

Citation

@article{Cheng2026ObservationMasked,
  author = {Cheng, Meiling and Vossepoel, Femke C. and Lhermitte, Stef and Hut, Rolf},
  title = {Observation‐Masked Localized Assimilation of Satellite‐Derived Snow Cover Data for Enhancing Runoff Prediction in the Rhône River Basin, France},
  journal = {Water Resources Research},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1029/2025wr042847},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1029/2025wr042847}
}