Passive microwave sensing of snow characteristics over landTruck-mounted, airborne, and spaceborne systems with various radiometers ranging in wavelength from 0.8 to 21 cm were used to measure the brightness temperatures of snow-covered areas at test sites near Steamboat Springs and Walden, Colorado. The brightness temperature at a short wavelength (0.8 cm) was found to decrease more rapidly with increasing snow depth than the brightness temperature at a longer wavelength (6 cm). More scattering of the shorter-wavelength radiation by the snow crystals results in a lower brightness temperature. The longer-wavelength (6 cm) radiation penetrates through meters of dry snowpack and is useful for the assessment of the underlying ground conditions.
Document ID
19810058803
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Authors
Chang, A. T. C. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Hall, D. K. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Foster, J. L. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Rango, A. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Shiue, J. C. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Application Directorate, Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
August 11, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1981
Subject Category
Earth Resources And Remote Sensing
Meeting Information
Meeting: Annual William T. Pecora Memorial Symposium on Remote Sensing