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On the estimation of snow depth from microwave radiometric measurementsMultiple-channel microwave radiometric measurements made over Alaska at aircraft (near 90 and 183 GHz) and satellite (at 37 and 85 GHz) altitudes are used to study the effect of atmospheric absorption on the estimation of snow depth. The estimation is based on the radiative transfer calculations using an early theoretical model of Mie scattering of single-size particles. It is shown that the radiometric correction for the effect of atmospheric absorption is important even at 37 GHz for a reliable estimation of snow depth. Under a dry atmosphere and based on single-frequency radiometric measurements, the underestimation of snow depth could amount to 50 percent at 85 GHz and 20-30 percent at 37 GHz if the effect of atmospheric absorption is not taken into account. The snow depths estimated from the 90-GHz aircraft and 85-GHz satellite measurements are found to be in reasonable agreement. However, there is a discrepancy in the snow depths estimated from the 37-GHz (at both vertical and horizontal polarizations) and 85-GHz satellite measurements.
Document ID
19930030712
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Wang, James R.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Chang, Alfred T. C.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Sharma, Awdhesh K.
(ST Systems Corp. Lanham, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
August 16, 2013
Publication Date
July 1, 1992
Publication Information
Publication: IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing
Volume: 30
Issue: 4
ISSN: 0196-2892
Subject Category
Earth Resources And Remote Sensing
Accession Number
93A14709
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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