Articles | Volume 11, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-229-2017
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-229-2017
Research article
 | 
27 Jan 2017
Research article |  | 27 Jan 2017

Microstructure representation of snow in coupled snowpack and microwave emission models

Melody Sandells, Richard Essery, Nick Rutter, Leanne Wake, Leena Leppänen, and Juha Lemmetyinen

Data sets

The Cryosphere Sandells et al. 2017 Datafiles M. Sandells, R. Essery, N. Rutter, L. Wake, L. Lepp\"{a}nen, and J. Lemmetyinen https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.4552822.v1

Download
Short summary
This study looks at a wide range of options for simulating sensor signals for satellite monitoring of water stored as snow, though an ensemble of 1323 coupled snow evolution and microwave scattering models. The greatest improvements will be made with better computer simulations of how the snow microstructure changes, followed by how the microstructure scatters radiation at microwave frequencies. Snow compaction should also be considered in systems to monitor snow mass from space.