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Monitoring snowpack properties by passive microwave sensors on board of aircraft and satellitesSnowpack properties such as water equivalent and snow wetness may be inferred from variations in measured microwave brightness temperatures. This is because the emerged microwave radiation interacts directly with snow crystals within the snowpack. Using vertically and horizontally polarized brightness temperatures obtained from the multifrequency microwave radiometer (MFMR) on board a NASA research aircraft and the electrical scanning microwave radiometer (ESMR) and scanning multichannel microwave radiometer (SMMR) on board the Nimbus 5, 6, and 7 satellites, linear relationships between snow depth or water equivalent and microwave brightness temperature were developed. The presence of melt water in the snowpack generally increases the brightness temperatures, which can be used to predict snowpack priming and timing of runoff.
Document ID
19810010998
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Chang, A. T. C.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Foster, J. L.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Hall, D. K.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Rango, A.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
August 11, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1980
Publication Information
Publication: Microwave Remote Sensing of Snowpack Properties
Subject Category
Earth Resources And Remote Sensing
Accession Number
81N19525
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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