Relationship between SSM/I measurements and snow conditions

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) has been flown on DMSP satellites since 1987. Over land the SSM/I measurements at 19, 37 and 85 GHz are used to routinely identify precipitation, snow cover and the surface wetness resulting from rainfall and snow melt. In the case of snow, the measurements vary as function of snow water equivalent, grain size and snow density. Ice crusts at the surface and within the snow can also affect the measurements. As such, the SSM/I measurements depend on the internal properties of snow as well as the snow extent. Studies based on radiative transfer simulations are used to examine the effects of the various snow parameters on the microwave measurements. Temporal variations of the SSM/I measurements are compared with snow data over the former Soviet Union. It is evident that both temporal and spectral information is needed to identify changes in the physical characteristics of snow.