Where Satellite Data Meets Climate Truth — A web-based climate fact-checking tool that uses 25 years of ERA5 satellite data to verify claims about Alpine snow cover.
Built for SpaceHACK for Sustainability 2026 | Track AIB: Climate Change and the Alpine Information Battle
SnowLens transforms 25 years of ERA5 reanalysis data (2000-2024) from 15 Alpine weather stations into an interactive dashboard that lets anyone fact-check climate claims about Alpine snow cover. Type a claim, get a verdict backed by real statistical evidence.
Interactive time series for 3 elevation bands (Low <1500 m, Mid 1500-2500 m, High >2500 m) with Mann-Kendall trend tests, Sen's slope, and Pettitt change point detection.
Interactive Plotly 3D surface showing Year x Month x Snow Water Equivalent across all elevation bands.
Heatmap of monthly snow cover patterns revealing shoulder season shrinkage over the 25-year record.
Exponential decay model under 3 scenarios: Current Trend, RCP 8.5, and Paris-Aligned RCP 2.6.
Enter any climate claim and receive a SUPPORTED or REFUTED verdict with real p-values, evidence charts, and source citations.
Results overview with stakeholder impact analysis for tourism, water resources, and ecosystems.
| Elevation Band | Trend | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Low Alps (<1500 m) | -21.6 days/decade | p = 0.005, highly significant |
| Mid Alps (1500-2500 m) | +3.0 days/decade | p = 0.76, not significant |
| High Alps (>2500 m) | Stable at 365 days | Year-round snow cover |
- Change point detected at 2013 — snow days in the Low Alps dropped from 162 to 127 days
- Temperature explains 69% of snow variation (Pearson R = -0.828)
- Projection (Low Alps by 2050): 76 snow days (current trend), 57 under RCP 8.5
| Layer | Technology |
|---|---|
| Frontend | React + Vite + Tailwind CSS v4 + Plotly.js |
| Data Pipeline | Python (Open-Meteo ERA5 API, statistical analysis, JSON export) |
| Statistical Tests | pymannkendall, scipy.stats (Pettitt, Pearson), exponential decay projection |
| Deployment | Vercel |
- Node.js 18+
- Python 3.10+
cd frontend
npm install
npm run devThe app will be available at http://localhost:5173.
cd data_pipeline
pip install -r requirements.txt
python 01_download_era5.py
python 02_process_data.py
python 03_download_open_meteo.pyAlpineVerify/
├── frontend/ # React app (Vite + Tailwind + Plotly.js)
│ ├── src/ # Components, pages, and assets
│ ├── public/ # Static files and processed data
│ └── vite.config.js
├── data_pipeline/ # Python scripts for data download & processing
│ ├── 01_download_era5.py
│ ├── 02_process_data.py
│ ├── 03_download_open_meteo.py
│ ├── raw_data/ # Downloaded ERA5 data
│ └── processed/ # Analysis outputs (JSON)
├── create_slides.js # PPTX generator for presentation
└── README.md
- ECMWF ERA5 Reanalysis via Open-Meteo Historical Weather API
- 15 Alpine weather stations across 3 elevation bands
- 25 years of daily data (2000-2024)
Hersbach, H. et al. (2020). The ERA5 global reanalysis. Q.J.R. Meteorol. Soc., 146(730), 1999-2049. DOI: 10.1002/qj.3803
- SDG 6 — Clean Water and Sanitation: Alpine snowpack is a critical freshwater reservoir for downstream communities.
- SDG 13 — Climate Action: Quantifying snow cover decline directly supports climate awareness and informed policy.
- SDG 15 — Life on Land: Monitoring ecosystem impacts of reduced snow cover on Alpine biodiversity.
Team #3 — Arizona State University
| Name | Program | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Samudyata | Computer Engineering (Grad) | Data Pipeline & Backend |
| Chinmayi | Data Science, Analytics & Engineering (Grad) | Visualizations in Frontend |
| Shambhavi | Data Science, Analytics & Engineering (Grad) | UI/UX & Page Design |
This project is licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE for details.