Abstract
Snow observations from space play an important role in hydrological and climatological studies. They are especially important in remote areas with low (or none) population and sparse conventional observations at the ground. At the mid latitudes, they are needed especially for assimilation of spatially distributed data concerning snow water equivalent or snow depth derived from microwave satellite data to snowmelt models. This paper presents discussion on several problems with satellite derived snow observations focusing on the JAXA GCOM-W1 snow depth product. This product was analyzed for the period of October 1, 2012, to April 30, 2013, for an area of Poland and verified against ground observations. Benefits and disadvantages of these products were discussed in comparison to other satellite microwave products concerning snow properties. Problems with proper validation against “ground truth” were also highlighted. The possible alternative use of AMSR2 microwave data was also presented.
Highlights
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched a new global change observation mission-1st water (GCOM-W1) satellite on May 17, 2012, equipped with an advanced microwave scanning radiometer (AMSR2) instrument, making possible the continuation of AMSR/ ADEOS-II and AMSR-E/Aqua satellite observations.[1]
JAXA decided to distribute the snow depth product instead of the snow water equivalent (SWE), previously available from AMSR-E/Aqua. This decision allowed for the exclusion of the snow grain/density estimation required for conversion from SND to SWE, which is an important source of errors
Analysis of correlation between the snow depth measured at the ground and retrieved from GCOM-W1 data was performed
Summary
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched a new global change observation mission-1st water (GCOM-W1) satellite on May 17, 2012, equipped with an advanced microwave scanning radiometer (AMSR2) instrument, making possible the continuation of AMSR/ ADEOS-II and AMSR-E/Aqua satellite observations.[1]. Intraseasonal, seasonal, and long-term cycles, depending on latitude and altitude This process has both positive impacts, e.g., electricity production, and negative impacts, e.g., snowmelt floods. Poland is a very interesting area for satellite snow cover product validation due to variable snow cover during winter, a relatively long snow season, and repeated snow fall/snow melt periods during winter. Melting snow is a frequent source of floods, especially in lowland areas Such a situation is repeated several times during the period from January–April. Good knowledge of the actual snow amount available for melting is crucial for proper hydrological modeling Due to those reasons, the possible use of the new GCOM-W1 product for monitoring snow cover evolution was analyzed, focusing on the area of Poland
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