@article{fdi:010070874,
  title = {{S}now observations in {M}ount {L}ebanon (2011-2016)},
  author = {{F}ayad, {A}. and {G}ascoin, {S}. and {F}aour, {G}. and {F}anise, {P}ascal and {D}rapeau, {L}aurent and {S}omma, {J}. and {F}adel, {A}. and {A}l {B}itar, {A}. and {E}scadafal, {R}ichard},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{W}e present a unique meteorological and snow observational dataset in {M}ount {L}ebanon, a mountainous region with a {M}editerranean climate, where snowmelt is an essential water resource. {T}he study region covers the recharge area of three karstic river basins (total area of 1092 km(2) and an elevation up to 3088 m). {T}he dataset consists of (1) continuous meteorological and snow height observations, (2) snowpack field measurements, and (3) medium-resolution satellite snow cover data. {T}he continuous meteorological measurements at three automatic weather stations ({MZA}, 2296 m; {LAQ}, 1840 m; and {CED}, 2834 m a.s.l.) include surface air temperature and humidity, precipitation, wind speed and direction, incoming and reflected shortwave irradiance, and snow height, at 30 min intervals for the snow seasons ({N}ovember-{J}une) between 2011 and 2016 for {MZA} and between 2014 and 2016 for {CED} and {LAQ}. {P}recipitation data were filtered and corrected for {G}eonor under-catch. {O}bservations of snow height ({HS}), snow water equivalent, and snow density were collected at 30 snow courses located at elevations between 1300 and 2900m a.s.l. during the two snow seasons of 2014-2016 with an average revisit time of 11 days. {D}aily gap-free snow cover extent ({SCA}) and snow cover duration ({SCD}) maps derived from {MODIS} snow products are provided for the same period (2011-2016). {W}e used the dataset to characterize mean snow height, snow water equivalent ({SWE}), and density for the first time in {M}ount {L}ebanon. {S}now seasonal variability was characterized with high {HS} and {SWE} variance and a relatively high snow density mean equal to 467 kgm(-3). {W}e find that the relationship between snow depth and snow density is specific to the {M}editerranean climate. {T}he current model explained 34% of the variability in the entire dataset (all regions between 1300 and 2900m a.s.l.) and 62% for high mountain regions (elevation 2200-2900 m a.s.l.). {T}he dataset is suitable for the investigation of snow dynamics and for the forcing and validation of energy balance models. {T}herefore, this dataset bears the potential to greatly improve the quantification of snowmelt and mountain hydrometeorological processes in this data-scarce region of the eastern {M}editerranean.},
  keywords = {{ZONE} {MEDITERRANEENNE} ; {LIBAN} {MONT}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{E}arth {S}ystem {S}cience {D}ata},
  volume = {9},
  numero = {2},
  pages = {573--587},
  ISSN = {1866-3508},
  year = {2017},
  DOI = {10.5194/essd-9-573-2017},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010070874},
}