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The Guardian World1 min read
Lasers in the sky: hi-tech missions track record snowpack loss in US west
TL;DR
Advanced Lidar technology is being used to accurately measure snowpack loss in the Sierra Nevada, revealing a concerning dry year. This data is crucial for water management in the US west.
Key points
- Lidar technology measures snow depth with high precision
- Snowpack data is crucial for water management in the US west
- Current year shows alarming snowpack loss
- Tom Painter developed the technology at NASA
- Accurate measurements help plan water supply
Mentioned in this story
Airborne ObservatoriesTom PainterSierra Nevada
High above the jagged peaks of California’s Sierra Nevada, the view from the cockpit is breathtaking. At first glance, the mountains appear draped in a pristine white blanket. But as the flight crew gears up for a high-stakes mission, the sensors onboard this specialized aircraft prove that looks can be deceiving.
“This is a distinct dry year,” says Tom Painter, CEO of Airborne Snow Observatories.
Painter, who developed this technology at Nasa, isn’t relying on a visual inspection. His plane uses Lidar, or rapid pulses of laser light, to calculate snow depth with surgical precision. “The Lidar sprays out about 800,000 pulses per second,” he explains. The result is a 3D map of snow depth accurate to within 3cm. The technology also helps determine how much water is stored in the snowpack.
In the US west, where mountain ranges act as “frozen reservoirs”, state water managers rely on this data as a survival guide. It helps them plan for exactly how much water will eventually reach the faucets of millions of people and the critical farm fields that feed the nation.
This year, the data is sounding an alarm.
A record-breaking ’spigot shut off’
The national drought picture is increasingly grim. According to the latest US Drought Monitor, more than 60% of the lower 48 states are now gripped by drought. It’s the most widespread spring dry spell since the monitor began in 2000. While the south-east is now battling “summer-sized” wildfires in Georgia and Florida, the west is facing a different kind of crisis: a snow drought-fueled water shortage.
A record-warm winter followed by a blistering March heatwave, both fuelled by heat-trapping pollution, has decimated the western snowpack. According to Climate Central, the total water stored in the western snowpack this winter hit its lowest level on record right when it should have been hitting its annual peak.
“In March the spigot shut off and it shut off across the entire western US,” Painter says. “Loss of snowpack like we’ve never seen. It’s not in the record at all. So this is unprecedented.”
The numbers back him up: the statewide snowpack in California stood at a mere 18% of average on 1 April and has declined ever since.
The long, dry summer ahead
Q&A
What is Lidar technology and how is it used to measure snowpack?
Lidar technology uses rapid pulses of laser light to create precise 3D maps of snow depth, allowing for accurate measurements of snowpack.
Why is snowpack data important for water management in the US west?
Snowpack acts as a 'frozen reservoir', and accurate data helps water managers determine how much water will be available for millions of people and agricultural needs.
What are the implications of the current dry year for the Sierra Nevada snowpack?
The current dry year signals potential water shortages, affecting both urban water supply and agricultural irrigation in the region.
Who developed the Lidar technology used for measuring snowpack?
The Lidar technology was developed by Tom Painter, CEO of Airborne Observatories, during his time at NASA.
