Classification of Geophysical Parameters Using Passive Microwave Satellite Measurements

Surface and precipitation features are determined over a test site in central North America during January 1979 using the Nimbus-7 Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR). An algorithm that uses the 18-and 37-GHz vertical polarization measurements is developed that can identify and separate six specific geophysical parameters: dry snow, sea ice, flooded or very wet land, dry land, open water, and rain. The algorithm is applied to a sequence of SMMR passes over the test site, and changes in various features, which are presented as color maps of geophysical parameters, are discussed.