Skip to main content

Evaluating Multispectral Snowpack Reflectivity with Changing Snow Correlation Lengths

Publication ,  Journal Article
Kang, DH; Barros, AP; Kim, EJ
Published in: IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing
December 1, 2016

This study investigates the sensitivity of multispectral reflectivity to changing snow correlation lengths. Mätzler's ice-lamellae radiative transfer model was implemented and tested to evaluate the reflectivity of snow correlation lengths at multiple frequencies from the ultraviolet (UV) to the microwave bands. The model reveals that, in the UV to infrared (IR) frequency range, the reflectivity and correlation length are inversely related, whereas reflectivity increases with snow correlation length in the microwave frequency range. The model further shows that the reflectivity behavior can be mainly attributed to scattering rather than absorption for shallow snowpacks. The largest scattering coefficients and reflectivity occur at very small correlation lengths (∼10 -5 m) for frequencies higher than the IR band. In the microwave range, the largest scattering coefficients are found at millimeter wavelengths. For validation purposes, the ice-lamella model is coupled with a multilayer snow physics model to characterize the reflectivity response of realistic snow hydrological processes. The evolution of the coupled model simulated reflectivities in both the visible and the microwave bands is consistent with satellite-based reflectivity observations in the same frequencies. The model results are also compared with colocated in situ snow correlation length measurements (Cold Land Processes Field Experiment 2002-2003). The analysis and evaluation of model results indicate that the coupled multifrequency radiative transfer and snow hydrology modeling system can be used as a forward operator in a data-assimilation framework to predict the status of snow physical properties, including snow correlation length.

Duke Scholars

Published In

IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing

DOI

EISSN

1558-0644

ISSN

0196-2892

Publication Date

December 1, 2016

Volume

54

Issue

12

Start / End Page

7378 / 7384

Related Subject Headings

  • Geological & Geomatics Engineering
  • 0909 Geomatic Engineering
  • 0906 Electrical and Electronic Engineering
  • 0404 Geophysics
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Kang, D. H., Barros, A. P., & Kim, E. J. (2016). Evaluating Multispectral Snowpack Reflectivity with Changing Snow Correlation Lengths. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 54(12), 7378–7384. https://doi.org/10.1109/TGRS.2016.2600958
Kang, D. H., A. P. Barros, and E. J. Kim. “Evaluating Multispectral Snowpack Reflectivity with Changing Snow Correlation Lengths.” IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing 54, no. 12 (December 1, 2016): 7378–84. https://doi.org/10.1109/TGRS.2016.2600958.
Kang DH, Barros AP, Kim EJ. Evaluating Multispectral Snowpack Reflectivity with Changing Snow Correlation Lengths. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing. 2016 Dec 1;54(12):7378–84.
Kang, D. H., et al. “Evaluating Multispectral Snowpack Reflectivity with Changing Snow Correlation Lengths.” IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, vol. 54, no. 12, Dec. 2016, pp. 7378–84. Scopus, doi:10.1109/TGRS.2016.2600958.
Kang DH, Barros AP, Kim EJ. Evaluating Multispectral Snowpack Reflectivity with Changing Snow Correlation Lengths. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing. 2016 Dec 1;54(12):7378–7384.

Published In

IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing

DOI

EISSN

1558-0644

ISSN

0196-2892

Publication Date

December 1, 2016

Volume

54

Issue

12

Start / End Page

7378 / 7384

Related Subject Headings

  • Geological & Geomatics Engineering
  • 0909 Geomatic Engineering
  • 0906 Electrical and Electronic Engineering
  • 0404 Geophysics