Evaluation of SMMR satellite-derived snow depth using ground-based measurements

Abstract

Abstract Daily snow depth data for 284 first-order hydromet stations located in the former Soviet Union have been made available for climatological analysis by the U.S.S.R. State Committee for Hydrometeorology. The data are compared with the snow depth product derived from Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR) passive microwave brightness temperatures for the year 1980. Results suggest some discrepancies between the two data sources. Anomalies are considered to emanate from a variety of sources. These may include: (a) problems comparing a point measurement to one averaged over a pixel area; (b) an algorithm bias given deep snow conditions; (c) geographical influences such as elevation and forest cover; and (d) presence of depth hoar.