DocumentCode :
1245634
Title :
Global identification of snowcover using SSM/I measurements
Author :
Grody, Norman C. ; Basist, Alan N.
Author_Institution :
Satellite Res. Lab., NOAA, Washington, DC, USA
Volume :
34
Issue :
1
fYear :
1996
fDate :
1/1/1996 12:00:00 AM
Firstpage :
237
Lastpage :
249
Abstract :
Visible satellite sensors have monitored snowcover throughout the Northern Hemisphere for almost thirty years. These sensors can detect snowcover during daylight, cloud-free conditions. The operational procedure developed by NOAA/NESDIS requires an analyst to manually view the images in order to subjectively distinguish between clouds and snowcover. Because this procedure is manually intensive, it is only performed weekly. Since microwave sensors see through nonprecipitating clouds, snowcover can be determined objectively without the intervention of an analyst. Furthermore, microwave sensors can provide daily analysis of snowcover in real-time, which is essential for operational forecast models and regional hydrologic monitoring. Snowcover measurements are obtained from the Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I), flown aboard the DMSP satellites. A decision tree, containing various filters, is used to separate the scattering signature of snowcover from other scattering signatures. Problem areas are discussed and when possible, a filter is developed to eliminate biases. The finalized decision tree is an objective algorithm to monitor the global distribution of snowcover. Comparisons are made between the SSM/I snowcover product and the NOAA/NESDIS subjectively analyzed weekly product
Keywords :
atmospheric techniques; geophysical signal processing; hydrological techniques; microwave measurement; millimetre wave measurement; radiometry; remote sensing; snow; 19.3 to 85.5 GHz; DMSP satellite; EHF; SHF; SSM/I; Special Sensor Microwave Imager; atmosphere; decision tree; filter; global distribution; global identification; hydrology; measurement technique; microwave radiometry; mm wave radiometry; objective algorithm; remote sensing; signal processing; snow cover; snowcover; snowpack; spaceborne method; Clouds; Decision trees; Image analysis; Microwave filters; Microwave measurements; Microwave sensors; Monitoring; Predictive models; Satellites; Scattering;
fLanguage :
English
Journal_Title :
Geoscience and Remote Sensing, IEEE Transactions on
Publisher :
ieee
ISSN :
0196-2892
Type :
jour
DOI :
10.1109/36.481908
Filename :
481908
Link To Document :
بازگشت