1 / 23

The retrieval of snow properties from space: theory and applications

The retrieval of snow properties from space: theory and applications. A. A. Kokhanovsky 1 , M. Tedesco 2,3 , G. Heygster 1 , M. Schreier 1 , E. P. Zege 4. University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany University of Maryland, Baltimore County, USA NASA – Goddard Space Flight Center, Maryland, USA

jewell
Download Presentation

The retrieval of snow properties from space: theory and applications

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. The retrieval of snow properties from space: theory and applications A. A. Kokhanovsky1 , M. Tedesco2,3,G. Heygster1 , M. Schreier1, E. P. Zege4 • University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany • University of Maryland, Baltimore County, USA • NASA – Goddard Space Flight Center, Maryland, USA • Institute of Physics, Minsk, Belarus alexk@iup.physik.uni-bremen.de

  2. Introduction • A new snow retrieval algorithm that makes use of visible and near-infrared measurements in which snow is modeled as a semi-infinite weakly absorbing medium is developed • The shape of grains is accounted for by means of a fractal snow grain model • The technique is applied to study the changes of snow properties before and just after snow fall in Colorado as seen by two MODIS sensors on TERRA and AQUA satellites • The snow grain size and snow albedo have been retrieved from AATSR onboard ENVISAT data over Greenland • Preliminary comparisons with ground measurements have been performed

  3. 1. Snow physical model

  4. 1. Snow physical model Satellite • clear sky: • gases • aerosols Sun semi-infinite horizontally homogeneous plane-parallel medium composed of fractal ice grains suspended in air

  5. 2. Snow optical model phase function g=0.75 in the visible Macke et al., 1996; Mishchenko et al., 1997

  6. 3. Snow radiative transfer model Kokhanovsky and Zege, 2004; Appl. Optics Snow spectral reflectivity Escape function R0= Reflectivity of a semi-infinite snow layer at zero absorption Kokhanovsky, 2006; Optics Letters (methane adsorption; Domine et al., 2006) • a=1.247, b = 1.186 and c= 5.157 • the function p is the snow grain phase function

  7. 3. Snow radiative transfer model: albedo determination Reflectivity: Albedo:

  8. 3. Snow radiative transfer model fresh snow: no pollution • grain size d • spectral snow albedo r

  9. 4. Validation: Hokkaido Solar zenith angle=54deg

  10. 4. Validation: Hokkaido

  11. 4. Validation: Antarctica Experiment Hudson et al., 2006 JGR

  12. 4. Validation: North Pole DAMOCLES IP 2005-2009: Developing Arctic Modeling and Observing Capabilities for Long-term Environmental Studies

  13. 4. Satellite retrievals: grain size from MODIS data Band 4 Band 5 2002 Band 6 1999 MODIS Band 5 offers sensitivity to grain size Sensitivity of albedo to grain size

  14. First application to MODIS data: The CLPX dataset Multi-scale, multi-sensor approach to build comprehensive data set needed to meet NASA Earth Science Enterprise science objectives.

  15. Elevation and forest cover of the test area Global Land Cover mountain Colorado Meters Forest cover fraction Green  very sparse Blue/Black  very dense White  no forest Elevation [m] ground measurements

  16. Grain size retrieval: Feb.19, 2003 TERRA (AM) AQUA (PM) forest snow cloud micrometers 1:30pm 10:30am morning: snowfall MODIS BRDF product

  17. Forest effect Grain size values retrieved from MODIS-TERRA vs. those retrieved from MODIS-AQUA on February 19, 2003

  18. Preliminary validation(d=(a+b)/2) elevation:2.5km Aqua Feb_21 Terra Feb_22 CLPX-1 campaign, North Park, Colorado, USA, 2003

  19. 5. Satellite retrievals: AATSR Reflectances

  20. 5. Satellite retrievals: AATSR

  21. 5. Satellite retreivals

  22. 6. Account for snow pollution in the visible

  23. Observations and future work • A new approach is to be developed (A. Lyasputin, UMBC/NASA; von Hoyningen-Huene, University of Bremen) for simultaneous retrieval of AOT and surface BRDF. This will improve MODIS snow BRDF product. • The cloud mask must be improved. • A comprehensive validation and calibration campaign is needed. This will be performed using measurements in Greenland (M. Tedesco, PI of the Proposal submitted to NASA NNH06ZDA001N-IPY).

More Related